This Is Not Love’: Arizona Woman Arrested After Sending 65,000 Texts to One Man Following First Date

Image Credit, Phoenix, Ariz., the Town of Paradise Valley Police Department.

PHOENIX — What started as a single online date quickly spiraled into one of the most disturbing stalking cases in recent memory. Jacqueline Claire Ades, a 31-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona, is now behind bars after sending an estimated 65,000 text messages to a man she met on a dating app — and being found bathing in his home while he was away on vacation.

The saga began in 2017 when Ades connected with the unnamed Paradise Valley man through a millionaire matchmaking site. They went on a single date. According to police, the man wasn’t interested in seeing her again, but Ades refused to take no for an answer.

Over the next several months, the victim reported receiving dozens — and sometimes hundreds — of messages per day from Ades. Police later determined that the total number of messages exceeded 65,000. Some of them were romantic. Many were not.

One text read: “Don’t ever try to leave me… I’ll kill you. I don’t want to be a murderer.” Another chilling message stated, “I want to bathe in your blood.”

Her obsession soon crossed digital lines. In April 2018, while the man was out of town, Ades was caught on surveillance footage entering his Paradise Valley home without permission. When officers arrived, they discovered her in his bathtub — with a butcher knife found in her car parked outside.

She was charged with felony trespassing and released, but the harassment didn’t stop. Days later, she reappeared at the man’s workplace claiming to be his wife, prompting another arrest. By May 2018, she faced multiple charges including stalking, criminal trespass, threatening and intimidating, and harassment.

“This is not how dating should be,” Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez told reporters at the time. “This wasn’t just excessive texting. It was dangerous, it was threatening, and it escalated to breaking into someone’s home.”

‘Love Is Excessive’

In a bizarre jailhouse interview with local ABC affiliate KNXV-TV, Ades defended her actions, claiming that she had found her soulmate.

“I felt like I met my soul mate and everything was just the way it was,” she said, almost smiling. “Love is an excessive thing.”

Ades insisted she never intended to hurt the man and claimed that her threats were metaphorical. But the tone and content of the messages — many of which were violent, sexually graphic, and deeply unsettling — left authorities and mental health professionals concerned.

Psychologists not involved in the case commented that Ades may have exhibited signs of erotomania, a delusional disorder in which an individual believes someone is in love with them, despite clear evidence to the contrary. But her public defender has not confirmed whether any psychiatric evaluations have been formally entered into the court record.

Where Is She Now?

As of 2025, Jacqueline Ades remains in custody at Arizona State Hospital, where she was transferred after being found mentally incompetent to stand trial. A judge ruled in 2020 that she could not participate meaningfully in her own defense and ordered her to undergo long-term psychiatric treatment.

According to court records reviewed in July 2025, Ades is still being treated at the hospital’s forensic unit. Doctors are required to report back to the court periodically to assess whether she has regained competency. So far, that has not happened.

In the meantime, the victim — whose identity has remained protected throughout the proceedings — has continued to live in anonymity under police protection. He has declined to speak publicly but released a short statement through his attorney in 2019:

“I am deeply grateful to law enforcement and the court system for taking this matter seriously. No one deserves to be threatened, no matter how a date goes.”

A New Era of Obsession

Experts say this case represents an alarming evolution of stalking in the digital age. Text messages, once seen as harmless flirtation tools, became instruments of psychological warfare. The case has become a frequent example in seminars on online dating safety and digital harassment.

“Jacqueline Ades’ behavior went beyond obsession — it became criminal, terrifying, and deeply violating,” said Dr. Elena Rothschild, a psychologist specializing in stalking behaviors. “When someone texts you thousands of times in a month, shows up uninvited to your workplace, and enters your home with a knife, this isn’t about love. It’s about control and delusion.”

Final Thoughts

This case is a chilling reminder that online dating, while offering new opportunities for connection, also carries new risks. One date does not entitle anyone to your time, attention, or space — and red flags must never be ignored.

Ades’ story is not just bizarre — it’s dangerous. It is a wake-up call about boundaries, mental health, and the necessity of believing victims early. As this case continues to sit in the hands of mental health professionals, the public watches with a mix of curiosity and unease, wondering just how far love — or obsession — can really go.

This is not how dating should be. This is a cautionary tale for the digital age.