Crime

Sheriff's spokesman: Ankle monitoring device found in Burger King bathroom

DELTONA, Fla. -- The search has ended for an inmate who failed to return to the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach after a court-authorized furlough to attend a funeral over the weekend.

Andrew Rodriguez, 27, was captured at 11:01 p.m. Monday after an anonymous call led Sheriff’s deputies to his whereabouts.

"Late Monday night, a tip received through Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida led deputies to the house on Evergreen Avenue," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer® this morning shortly after his capture.

"Just as deputies were heading into the house to search for Rodriguez, he bolted out of a side door and was quickly captured without offering resistance."

DELAND -- A community activist is leading a grassroots "goodwill job connection" seminar on Friday for those who have had brushes with the law and are having trouble finding employment.

Armed holdup of pizzeria now almost a week old with no arrest

DAYTONA BEACH -- A lone gunman held up Papa John's Pizza at 1506 S. Nova Road on Wednesday night, but Daytona Beach police don't have any leads on who the robber lading to an arrest six days later, with one key exception: He had a noticeable scar on his lower right jaw.

With a silver revolver in his right hand, the gunman walked up to the counter 10:36 p.m. and demanded money from the cash drawer. An employee behind the counter handed over an undetermined amount of money and then the the gunman ran out of the store and took off, possibly in a white Ford Escape. There was no video surveillance on the premises of the robbery.

Deltona teen still at large three days later; considered armed & dangerous

Photo for Headline Surfer® / Dontavious Williams, described as 5 feet 11 and 180 pounds, of Deltona, is wanted by Daytona cops on two active warrants. He's considered armed and dangerous.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Dontavius Williams was spotted by Daytona Beach cops just before 3 a.m. Sunday in the 800 block of S. Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard while on routine patrol, but he didn't stick around, even after being handcuffed at the scene. And three days later he's still missing. And so are the handcuffs.

Cops said they approached Williams, who gave them a fake name, but they hd an idea who he was and that he was wanted. And while searching on an in-car laptop, confirmed his identity and that there was an outstanding warrant charging him with aggravated assault with a firearm.

But Williams was able to disappear into the crowd while police were trying to keep everyone back, police spokesman Jimmy Flynt said. While police were handling the crowd, Williams simply ran off, his hands cuffed from behind.

Headline Surfer® graphic / The locator map at left shows the area south of the 500 block of Osteen-Maytown Road where the body of a man was found floating in shallow water on Saturday. He has since been identified.

OSTEEN -- The body of a man found Saturday afternoon floating in a water-filled borrow pit in Osteen, has been identified as that of 56-year-old Robert Lewis Williams, a Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman said.

"Witnesses said they saw the victim going into the water Friday afternoon," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer®. "Williams has family who live close by where the body was found, but he had no known permanent address. While there were no immediate signs of foul play, the Sheriff’s Office is investigating and will work with the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death."

Sheriff's spokesman: At first, convenience store clerk thought man was joking

Headline Surfer® graphic / At left is a locate map of the Circle K, 1805 Elkcam Blvd., in Deltona that was robbed by a man, possibly armed with a handgun at 12:23 a.m. Sunday.

DELTONA -- At first, the convenience store clerk thought the man was joking when he approached the counter and demanded cash early this morning, but it was all too real.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office respond to 9-1-1 call about the robbery at 12:23 a.m. Deputies, who began arriving at the scene at 1805 Elkcam Blvd. two minutes later, were told that the robber had entered the store and demanded that the clerk hand over the money in the cash register.

"At first, the clerk said he thought it was a joke," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davison told Headline Surfer®.

Photos for Headline Surfer® /

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- The motorist that cops believe was intoxicated when he struck and killed a North Carolina tourist as she was walking on the beach in Daytona Beach Shores has bonded out of jail.

Elizabeth Braly, 45, was with her 21-year-old son and his wife walking on the beach around 9:30 p.m. June 24, a Tuesday, when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Shawn Doolan.

Photo for Headline Surfer® / Eugene Blackwell, Sr., 45, is being held without bail in the alleged Sunday shooting of his 18-year-old son, whose condition is critical.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A dad shot his 18-year-old son multiple times during a domestic dispute on Father’s Day, New Smyrna Beach cops said.

Eugene Blackwell Sr., 45, was arrested on a charge of attempted murder for allegedly shooting his son, Eugene Blackwell Jr., 18, after a domestic argument turned violent, police said. The victim was airlifted to Halifax Medical Center shortly after the 6:34 p.m. shooting. He is currently undergoing surgery at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach for multiple gunshot wounds and listed in critical condition.

Headline Surfer® graphic / Rocco Park, 2490 Sunset Drive, shown here at left, is where the body of a woman was found early Tuesday.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The body of a woman was found this morning at a city park in Turnbull Bay, New Smyrna Beach cops said.

The discovery was made just after 6 a.m. at the park, located at 2490 Sunset Drive, Master Sgt. Eugene Griffith said in a press release, adding her death may have resulted from a drug overdose. Her name or age was not released.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday to try nd determine the manner and cause of death.