Florida woman driving SUV allegedly chased boy on bike path

Left to right: An image of a third-party’s view of an SUV chasing an e-bike down a bike path, Julia Kalthof, and the 14-year-old victim’s perspective of being chased by the SUV (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office).

An elderly Florida woman was recently arrested after pursuing a 14-year-old boy own a bike path in her SUV, Sunshine State police say.

Julia Kalthof, 65, stands accused of one count each of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, and reckless driving, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

“This woman caused a dangerous situation with her reckless and aggressive behavior and could have seriously hurt or killed not just the child she was chasing, but anyone who happened to be walking or biking on that path,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a press release.

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The incident occurred on June 7, on the Pine Lakes Path, a trail made for both pedestrians and bicyclists. The path runs along Pine Lakes Parkway in Palm Coast – a large city on the eastern seaboard.

A 911 caller told law enforcement he came upon the chase already in progress – and intentionally cut the SUV off at an intersection in order to stop the woman from going after the boy.

Meanwhile, the 911 caller’s girlfriend was aiding by recording video of the incident – which was submitted to 911 using an online system.

“Deputies responded to the scene to interview the witnesses and review the video,” the press release says. “The caller told deputies that he had noticed the juvenile attempting to wave down passing cars while the SUV was only 6 to 10 feet behind and chasing him, leading the witness to intervene and block the vehicle.”

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As the investigation progressed, law enforcement quickly identified Kalthof as the SUV driver, according to the sheriff’s office.

Meanwhile, the boy had escaped.

Sheriff’s deputies learned his name later on – after the child’s parents learned about the incident and reached out to authorities.

The defendant, for her part, allegedly admitted to the chase.

“Kalthof told deputies that the incident occurred because she was angry at the victim for riding his e-bike too fast and wanted to find out where he lived in order to speak to his parents,” the press release continues. “The victim told deputies that Kalthof screamed at him, cut him off, and nearly struck him, causing him to fear for his life.”

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The victim also provided video – allegedly showing Kalthof driving aggressively on the path behind him, according to law enforcement.

“There’s this lady trying to hit me,” the boy says in the video.

On June 10, the defendant was charged with the two crimes – as well as a traffic citation for driving along the multi-use path.

“I’m thankful that nobody was hurt, or she could be facing even more serious charges,” the sheriff added. “I also want to thank the bystander who stopped a dangerous situation and called 911 so that our deputies could handle it, conduct their investigation, and arrest this driver who clearly needs anger management.”