Gage Sleap, 22, fled Florida after allegedly threatening to kill a woman online. A multi-state manhunt ended at a bus stop in Gainesville, Texas, on April 10, 2026.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Fugitive Apprehension Unit tracked a Palm Coast man across two states before coordinating his arrest at a Texas bus stop. Gage Sleap, 22, had been wanted since late March on a warrant for written or electronic threats to kill and was taken into custody on April 10, 2026, in Gainesville, Texas.
The threats that started the investigation
The FCSO Major Case Unit opened an investigation on March 27 after receiving a report of written threats to kill. Detectives determined that Sleap had sent multiple messages to a female victim through Facebook Messenger, telling her he would burn her house down and kill her, and claiming he had a knife with her name on it. Sleap also tagged the victim in a separate Facebook post in which he stated he was going to put her in a grave. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
The manhunt across state lines
After the warrant was issued, the Fugitive Apprehension Unit determined that Sleap had left Florida and was believed to be staying in Independence, Missouri. Deputies coordinated with law enforcement in that area, but efforts to locate him there were unsuccessful. Investigators then received information that Sleap may have boarded a bus heading toward Dallas, Texas.
FCSO deputies contacted law enforcement agencies across North Texas and reached out to the Gainesville Police Department in Gainesville, Texas, after learning the city had a bus stop along the route. Acting on information provided by the FCSO, Gainesville officers went to the bus stop and found Sleap there on April 10.
MARCH 27, 2026
Warrant issued for Sleap following FCSO investigation into Facebook death threats.
LATE MARCH – EARLY APRIL
FCSO tracks Sleap to Independence, Missouri. Local law enforcement unable to locate him.
EARLY APRIL
Intelligence indicates Sleap is traveling by bus toward Dallas, Texas.
APRIL 10, 2026
Gainesville Police Department apprehends Sleap at a bus stop in Gainesville, Texas.
Arrest and current status
Sleap was arrested on his Flagler County fugitive warrant for written or electronic threats to kill. He was transported to the Cooke County Detention Center in Gainesville, Texas, where he is being held without bond while awaiting extradition back to Flagler County.
“This arrest is a perfect example of something that a lot of fugitives have learned the hard way: You can run, but you can’t hide from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office! Our deputies in the Fugitive Apprehension Unit are some of the best in the business at tracking down criminals, and we coordinate with our law enforcement partners around the country to bring fugitives to justice. I commend our team for their hard work and thank the Gainesville Police Department for their assistance.”
— Sheriff Rick Staly, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
More information about the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is available at flaglersheriff.com.
