A Leesburg man was arrested for stalking after allegedly following his soon-to-be ex-wife to a public pool and arguing over their child.
The estranged wife of 31-year-old Tylor Michael Sparks met with law enforcement in the lobby of the Leesburg Police Department at 2:05 p.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the LPD. She advised that he had been stalking her for the last month.
The wife explained that the two separated three years ago, and she had gotten into another relationship two years ago. She and Sparks were still legally married but had filed for divorce, the report said.
Since then, Sparks had been sending emails and texts despite her asking him to stop. He would send her messages, saying he knew she was not home and where she was, as if he was tracking her. He had been using restricted numbers, Facebook Messenger and emails to communicate with her, the report said.
The two had been speaking though email only about the divorce and child custody when he got released from prison. They have a four-year-old child in common, the report said.
That day, the wife, her child and her boyfriend went to the H.O. Dabney Aquatic Center, located at 312 Pine St., to enjoy some time at the pool. Although she told no one where they were going, she noticed Sparks watching them from the entry line for the facility. He then started arguing with her at the pool and demanded to see the child, the report said.
Her boyfriend got between the two of them to deter any issues. She and the family subsequently left the pool and came to the police department to report the incident, the report said.
The wife added that Sparks had admitted to calling the Department of Children and Families to make false accusations. She had also received an email from Sparks that read, “Just so you know it’s real…” He included her new phone number and sent another email with her current address, which scared her, the report said.
She had been told by the daycare that watches their child that Sparks called asking to pick the child up if he brought the police. There had been multiple instances where they caught him driving his green GMC Oldsmobile around the area of her residence, the report said.
Sparks had served prison time for domestic battery by strangulation back in 2017 and had multiple convictions of domestic battery that the wife was aware of. Due to this history of domestic violence and the possibility of a tracker, she feared for her life and the safety of her children, the report said.
Sparks was arrested that night at his home on Waitman Avenue. He was charged with stalking and booked at the Lake County Jail, where he was released after posting $10,000 bond.