ROCKLEDGE, Fla. – With what evidence investigators have, they said it's hard to think 50-year-old Terrence Thomas did not intend to cause great harm to the woman he used to share his life with.
"She had expressed to us just how much in fear she was," said Lt. Donna Seyferth with Rockledge PD.
Afraid for her life, police said the woman could hear Thomas outside her house around 5:30 Wednesday morning, walking around the yard and peeping through her windows.
After she called police, officers said the stalker ran off. He was arrested about 20 minutes later.
Officers found him carrying two masks, black gloves and 2 feet of steel wire with rubber handles on each end.
Police believe Thomas may have intended to strangle her.
"Your average person doesn't walk around at five in the morning with that in their pocket," said Lt. Seyferth.
Police said Thomas and the victim dated for 12 years, and he moved out a month ago and has been stalking her since.
Police said he may have been the person on Halloween who placed a knife in her car's trunk.
The victim got a restraining order against Thomas after he moved out.
Wednesday morning, police were monitoring the house when they said he dropped by. When Thomas spoke with detectives, police said he told them he only came over to her house because he couldn't sleep and he wanted to pick up his old tools in a backyard shed.
Police said he broke into the victim's locked shed, and he used a screwdriver to slash one of her car tires.
Thomas was taken to the Brevard County Jail and is being held on no bond.
He's expected to make his first appearance before a judge Thursday.