Father chases Peeping Tom with baseball bat after allegedly catching him at teen’s window

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. (WESH) - When a Florida father spotted a suspected Peeping Tom in his backyard, he took action, going after the man with a baseball bat – and a drink – in hand.

Damon Smith, 29, was arrested last Friday after Flagler County deputies say a father caught him spying on his 14-year-old daughter in Palm Coast. The teenager's mother, who didn't want to be identified, says the peeping started the night before.

"My cat started to get a little squirrely, so I peeked out and saw a huge silhouette with bright, white shoes. So, my husband got up and chased him, but by the time he got all together, he was way down the road," the mother said.

Feeling uneasy, the teen's father spent the next night sitting in a lawn chair in his backyard. He had a drink in one hand and a baseball bat in the other.

"Who comes back two nights in a row after being busted? But he did... He came sneaking around the house, came right up to my daughter's window... and he cupped his hands around his eyes and was looking in. So, my husband came up and was like, 'Surprise, expletive' and then whacked him with the bat. Then, he ran," the mother said.

A neighbor's Ring camera caught footage of the father chasing the suspect away. In the video, a man can be heard yelling, "Call the cops!"

Sheriff Rick Staly says Smith lives just a block away from the family's home.

"This is how offenders escalate, and eventually, they tend to become very serious crimes if they're not caught early," Staly said.

The arrest affidavit shows Smith told deputies, "I do run though yards, and other than that, I work my way back on the roads." When asked why, the report says he stated "something similar to he gets a thrill and adrenaline from it."

Smith is charged with loitering, voyeurism and aggravated stalking of a person under 16. He's being held on $86,000 bail.