Pinehurst resident Layla Mabe says her ex, Jarid Hardee, was stalking her. Deputies arrested him, but the judge sent him home on house arrest.
Shortly after his release, Hardee suddenly disappeared. Deputies believe he faked his own kidnapping, and even used his cell phone to text message his mother ransom threats.
Detectives spent days searching for him. They now believe that Hardee was listening to his scanner the whole time, and eavesdropping on them. Finally, they located him in the crawl space under Mabe's house.
Officers also believe Hardee was on his own stakeout. They found canned food and beef jerky in his hiding spot. More chilling, they found a ski mask, gloves, duct tape, plastic ties, and a machete.
When cornered, investigators say Hardee slashed his wrists and neck in their presence. They used a Taser on him, cuffed him, and took him into custody.
"He was terrorizing me for almost a year now, and I don't know what would have happened if they hadn't caught him," said Mabe.
Hardee faces charges ranging from attempted secret assault to stalking. He is in Central Prison under a $250,000 bond.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
