A Lexington County man is said to have shown up at a woman's home and workplace after speaking to her once at a gas station.

Joey Miles Strickland, 41, of Gaston, was arrested by Lexington County deputies and charged with first-degree assault and battery, kidnapping and stalking after law enforcement says he first approached a woman on Jan. 14 at a gas station, later blocking her in her home driveway and attempting to pull her into his car, then showing up at her workplace on Jan. 22.

"He spoke with her at the gas station and asked if she was married. He left the gas station before she did and about 10 minutes later blocked her in her driveway,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in a press release.

The woman hit him with an unloaded pistol when he grabbed her, officials say.

“Strickland went to the woman’s place of employment Jan. 22 and made statements to her co-workers about the woman ‘pistol whipping him,’” Koon said. “The victim does not know Strickland. Because his actions at the place of business would cause a reasonable person fear, that prompted the stalking charge.”

Investigators identified Strickland through security footage at the gas station and arrested him on Jan. 28.

The South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault defines stalking as a "pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or suffer substantial emotional distress. Harassment occurs when someone repeatedly contacts you, follows you, sends you things, talks to you when you don’t want them to, or threatens you." 

Nearly one in three women and one in six men have experienced stalking victimization at some point in their lifetime, according to the coalition. Unlike the instances Strickland was arrested in connection with, most stalking cases happen between people who know each other.