A 22-year-old Florida man is behind bars in Texas after a multi-state manhunt ended at a bus terminal. Gage Sleap was taken into custody on April 10 by officers in Gainesville, Texas, ending a pursuit that spanned from the Florida coast through the Midwest and into the South.
The search for Sleap began on March 27 when the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Major Case Unit launched an investigation into reports of violent threats.
Detectives say Sleap targeted a victim through Facebook Messenger, allegedly sending messages threatening to burn her house down and kill her.
Investigators noted that Sleap claimed to have a knife with the victim’s name on it and further tagged her in a public post stating he intended to put her in a grave.
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Once a warrant was issued for written or electronic threats to kill, the FCSO Fugitive Apprehension Unit took over the search. Their initial leads took them to Independence, Missouri. While deputies worked with Missouri law enforcement to pin down his location, Sleap managed to slip away before he could be apprehended.
The trail didn’t stay cold for long. Investigators soon gathered intelligence suggesting Sleap was on a commercial bus headed toward the Dallas area.
Flagler deputies contacted the Gainesville Police Department in North Texas, confirming the bus was scheduled to stop in their town. When the doors opened at the station, officers were waiting. Sleap was arrested without incident.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly credited the arrest to seamless coordination between agencies.
“This arrest is a perfect example of something that a lot of fugitives have learned the hard way: You can run, but you can’t hide from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office!” Staly said. “Our deputies in the Fugitive Apprehension Unit are some of the best in the business at tracking down criminals, and we coordinate with our law enforcement partners around the country to bring fugitives to justice.”
Sleap is currently being held without bond at the Cooke County Detention Center. He remains in Texas while he awaits extradition back to Florida to face the felony charges.
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