COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- The man accused of breaking out of an Iowa jail assisted by his girlfriend said that for eight hours on the run, the two lived out a love story, reported Omaha, Neb., TV station KETV.

Investigators said Jessica Johnson, 24, walked into the Montgomery County Jail before 12:45 a.m. Monday with a sawed-off shotgun and demanded that the officers release Stuart Sellers, 33. Both now face felony charges and remain in custody.

Sellers said it all comes down to love and betrayal. He said he was frustrated about why he was in the jail in the first place and desperately wanted to be with his girlfriend.

"We have a super-intense relationship -- a deeper love than I've ever felt in 33 years of my life," Sellers said in a jailhouse interview on Thursday.

Three weeks ago, Sellers said he was taken away from his girlfriend, arrested on suspicion of delivery of a controlled substance and jailed.

"To have to be locked away from my love and falsely accused of something was desperation," he said.

Investigators said Sellers and Johnson stole three vehicles before ending up at a home in Omaha, where they were tracked down and arrested.

"We had a couple of really good hours. Good times. We talked about the crazy, crazy lifestyle that would come afterwards," Sellers said. "If you've ever seen the movie 'Natural Born Killers,' Mick and Mallory marry themselves under a bridge midway through the movie. That's what we talked about."

Sellers said the plan was to go "wherever made them smile."

"Nothing ever could have harmed her with me present. And nothing could have gotten in the way of our love together. Definitely bad things could have happened if anybody had gotten in the way of that. I was capable of whatever it took to keep my freedom," Sellers said.

It was about 9 a.m. Monday when officers showed up at a house in Omaha to arrest the couple.

"That happened so quickly and so unexpectedly. I do wish I had headed for Mexico faster, or Texas or whatever, but it was unexpected," Sellers said.

Sellers has communicated with his girlfriend only once since then.

"I was able to run over to her cell and give her a kiss goodbye," Sellers said, before wondering aloud if the adventure was worth it. "I don't know. I can't even answer if it was worth it, but I know I got to see her, and be with her, and I'll never regret that."

Sellers wouldn't talk about who came up with the plan, but said, "anything Jessica is accused of, I'm more responsible for it."