My ex-boyfriend and I were tracked on vacation

I knew that my boyfriend was a bit strange since our first date, but I ignored the red flags, and our relationship turned toxic. After a few months, he became violent and controlling, and I knew I had to end it. I planned and saved until I had enough money to leave and find a new place to live. One day, I received a call from work, telling me that I had to come in on my day off or be fired. It was a red flag that he had somehow influenced this, so I got ready and left for work. I stopped for coffee when I got off work, and, when I went back to my car, I noticed that it had a GPS tracking device attached to the bottom. I took it inside and gave it to the barista to dispose of. At that time, I had only been to his apartment and the restaurant where we had our first date. <br><br>When he called, I lied and told him that I had gone to the restaurant for dinner. He asked me to send a picture of myself inside to prove that I was there on my own. I quickly went into the bar, and the barista took a picture of me at the bar, but, just in case, I asked her to take another with the coffee shop name visible behind me. Even though I had deleted the text with his number, he was able to track my phone. When he received the picture, he quickly realized that it wasn't the restaurant and that I was at the coffee shop. He knew because of the name of the coffee shop that I had taken the picture there, deleted the text with his number, and that I had found the GPS tracker. He became enraged and called me names, and, eventually, I hung up on him. I was so shaken that I couldn't drive, so I asked the barista if I could stay for a while. She offered to let me stay until closing, and I agreed. She called a cab and waited until I was safely inside before locking up.<br><br>The next few months, I kept moving from place to place and never stayed anywhere too long. I got a new phone with a new number from a different provider, and never gave that number out to anyone that I didn't trust. One day while shopping, I found a place that offered cell phone bag check, and the employee told me that I had to put my phone in a bag that would lock until I was ready to leave, so I did, did a little shopping until I found what I wanted, paid, and left to go to work. When I returned home from work, I had a bunch of missed calls from my mom, sister, and best friend. My best friend had sent me a text telling me that he called, looking for me, claiming that we were still together and that I had been missing, and that the police were looking for me.<br><br>I called my mom and she told me that the police did come to her door, and that she told them that we had broken up, but he showed them a recent text from my new number that I had sent him, asking to meet up. I knew that wasn't true, since I had deleted the text with his number on my old phone. I told my mom and sister that I would come over the next day to talk about the whole thing. I really wanted to call the police, but I was afraid that he would know, since he worked for the police department.<br><br>I went over to my mom's the next day, and before telling them everything that had happened, I asked my mom to check that there were no GPS devices attached to my car, and one was found in the same location where I had found the first one. I called the police and filed a report, but he had covered his tracks so well, and they couldn't pinpoint exactly who had put the device there. The police told me to stop by the station to give a statement, and I did, even though I was afraid, since he worked there and would find out.<br><br>I felt like I was being watched everywhere I went, and I knew that I couldn't stay where I was, again. So I packed up my stuff, and left in the middle of the night. I ended up in a city that was about 8 hours away from where I lived. I stayed in a hotel that was close to the airport for a few days, while I got settled. Then I got a new place, transferred my job to a new store location, and did everything that I could do to make sure that I was safe. When I felt ready, I called my mom and sister to let them know that I was okay, and that I had left, but I didn't give them my current address, only my city, in case he went to their houses looking for me. They both cried and told me that they wished they had been a better support system. I forgave them and told them that I would call and visit, since I missed them so much.<br><br>I blocked everyone from social media, deleted my accounts, and started over. When I got my new place, I made sure that it had outdoor cameras, and the doors and windows had alarms. I also purchased a Ring doorbell. I got a new car, but that was a big mistake. I didn't think about the fact that he worked for our police department, and that he would be able to track me with a new car. One day, while walking to my car from work, I noticed that it had been broken into. When I looked inside, I saw that the steering column had been cracked, and there was a note on the seat. It read, "This isn't over." I called the police and filed a report, and, at that time, I told the police everything that had happened. They believed me, and a few days later, he was fired from his job. <br><br>When I heard the news that he had been fired, I cried. I felt like I had won. I did everything that I could do to make sure that I was safe. Two months had passed without any incidents, so I thought that I was finally able to live a normal life. One day, I was called to work on my day off, again, so I got ready, as I had the first time. I knew that he was behind this, so, to throw him off, I told my coworkers that I was going to the beach for the weekend. At that time, I didn't know if he was tracking my car or not, so I left my car in the parking lot of the store and had an Uber pick me up. I went to a hotel that was near the airport and stayed a few nights. Then I flew to another state to visit a friend. I had only visited her house one time, so I knew that he wouldn't know of it. I stayed for a week, until I felt that it was safe to return. When I got to my car in the store parking lot, there were scratch marks all over it, and the tires had been slashed. I called the police, again, and filed another report. <br><br>After that incident, I was so on edge, and I knew that I had to do everything that I could to protect myself. I didn't feel safe anywhere, so I required that my new place have a guard at the gate. I also got to know my neighbors. When I got my new car, I had it checked for GPS devices, and I purchased a Faraday bag to carry my phone when I was away from home. I also stopped telling anyone my plans, and I only answered calls from people that I knew. If I received a call from a number that I didn't know, I would let it go to voicemail.<br><br>It has now been three years since I left, and I haven't heard from or seen him since. Just last week, my friend told me that he was in prison for killing a woman. I cried and thanked God that I had gotten away. I still to this day have nightmares about what would have happened if I hadn't left.