Man who tried to abduct teen in ’17 accused of stalking

A man who stalked a jogger in DeBary on Monday may be the same person who tried to kidnap a teenager on her way to her her bus stop in Ponce Inlet in 2017, the Volusia Sheriff ’s Office said Tuesday.

Deputies arrested Jonathan Buchanan, 31, on Tuesday morning in a traffic stop in DeBary on a criminal traffic violation (failure to update his address) and violation of probation charge after a jogger’s ordeal a day earlier.

The victim, a 25-yearold woman, told deputies a man followed her in his car while she was out running in DeBary.

She was able to run to a group of construction workers for help and also captured video of the vehicle, which included tag number QWYR78; that tag came back to Buchanan, the sheriff ’s office said.

“While Buchanan’s vehicle tag and personal description match the victim’s report in the DeBary case, detectives are asking for any additional victims or witnesses to come forward with information,” the sheriff ’s office said in a statement.

The jogger told deputies she was near Community Drive and South Shell

Road about 7:30 a.m. “when a silver Dodge Caliber passed her twice, including once very closely from behind, on the wrong side of the road. The car passed her two more times and then followed her to a dead end,” according to the sheriff ’s office.

Detectives say Buchanan, whose registered address is in South Daytona, has been living in DeBary without updating his address, a violation of his probation.

In 2017, Buchanan was convicted in the attempted kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl.

“In that case, Buchanan got out of his vehicle, approached the victim, tried to start a conversation with her and then put his hand over her mouth and tried to force her into his vehicle,” according to the department. “She bit him and escaped, and Buchanan fled, but Ponce Inlet police later found him in his vehicle with his pants unbuttoned and a stuffed animal in the front seat.”

Social media activity suggests there may be other victims in DeBary or elsewhere who might have information that would assist in the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Ryan Mills at rmills@vcso.us or 386-668-3830.