According to the sheriff’s office, a father in Flagler County drove away a “Peeping Prowler” last week from his daughter’s bedroom window.
According to a press statement from the deputies, the wife of the Palm Coast man saw a man slinking through the nearby trees on September 12 while they were relaxing in their backyard.
The man ran away after the couple yelled at him, according to deputies. The father remained on his back porch the following night, fearing for his family in case the creeper came again.
The father allegedly watched the same individual make his way through his backyard and towards the bedroom window of his 14-year-old daughter, investigators said. Officials say the father came over and saw the man, who they identified as 29-year-old Damon Smith, looking through the window.
“(The father) observed this individual with his face against his daughter’s window, with his hands cupped around his eyes,” a charging affidavit reads. “(The father) stated he immediately struck this individual with a baseball bat in between his shoulder blades in fear for his family’s safety.”
Investigators said that after chasing Smith out of the house, the father eventually lost sight of him and dialled the sheriff’s office for assistance.
When questioned, Smith acknowledged being at the residence and informed officers that he “gets a thrill from walking around people’s homes,” according to the news release. officers were eventually able to identify Smith as the suspect in the case.
“Most of the time — I’m not gonna lie — I do run through yards,” Smith reportedly told detectives. “And other than that, I work my way back on the roads.”
Smith is currently being prosecuted for voyeurism, loitering, and aggravated stalking. He is being detained on a $86,000 bond.
