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A woman in Winter Haven, Florida, told police that a man she met on Instagram escalated from flirtation to threats and harassment after their month‑long online relationship ended. Authorities located the suspect in Pennsylvania and say he will be returned to Florida to face charges.
The Winter Haven Public Safety Department says the complaint was filed on April 27. According to investigators, the 29‑year‑old man, identified as Hector Manuel Cruz, began calling and messaging the woman repeatedly after she stopped responding promptly and then after she ended the relationship.
Allegations and how the harassment unfolded
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Police allege the two had exchanged intimate messages and images during their online courtship. When the woman slowed communication, Cruz reportedly reacted with jealousy and made explicit threats to harm her if he believed she was unfaithful.
Investigators say the situation intensified when Cruz shared the private images he had received with the woman’s supervisor and sent threatening messages to the supervisor and her husband. He is also accused of continuing to contact the woman from multiple phone numbers and social accounts and of saying he planned to travel to Florida.
- Report filed: April 27 in Winter Haven, Florida
- Suspect: Hector Manuel Cruz, 29, located in Girard, Pennsylvania
- Alleged conduct: repeated harassment, dissemination of intimate images, threats of violence
- Police action: Girard Borough officers took Cruz into custody; Winter Haven seeks extradition
- Charges: written threats to kill; misuse of a two‑way communication device; sexual cyber harassment; harassing phone calls
Where authorities found him
Winter Haven police traced Cruz to addresses in Pennsylvania and Connecticut before local officers in Girard arrested him. The Winter Haven department confirmed he is expected to be extradited back to Florida in the coming days to face the pending counts.
The records provided by the agency did not list a next court date.
Law enforcement statements in this case highlight two growing concerns for people who form online relationships: the potential for private images to be redistributed without consent, and the ease with which harassing behavior can continue across multiple digital platforms and phone numbers. Prosecutors in Florida have charged Cruz with several offenses that reflect both the threats and the alleged use of technology to intimidate and harass.
