Palm Coast home invasion suspect killed, 2nd arrested

Flagler County deputies say Carl Devore was arrested after fleeing

Previous booking photo of Victor Betty (left) and booking photo of Carl Devore (right)

PALM COAST, Fla. – One of two men with guns who entered a Palm Coast home about 2 a.m. Wednesday was shot and killed by the resident, and the second gunman ran from the house before turning himself in, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies later identified the man who was killed as Victor James Betty, 28, of Palm Coast.

Recommended Videos



Carl Wesley Devore, 19, of Palm Coast is charged with second-degree felony murder and attempted home invasion robbery, deputies said.

Devore was booked into the Flagler County Inmate Facility without bond after turning himself in, the Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday evening.

The Sheriff's Office was told that three men, a woman and a child were in the home on Frank Place, when two men kicked in in the front door. Investigators said Devore and Betty went into the home seeking marijuana.

Residents said they were vacuuming a new rug when the men burst in.

"My door is being kicked in, and I see a gun in my face," one of the roommates told deputies. 

A second resident said one of the robbers "was pointing a gun at my face, telling me to grab money."

The first resident said he pushed the door closed and tried to hold it closed while he retrieved a .40-caliber handgun. He showed deputies abrasions on his arm from trying to hold the door closed until the gun was in his hand.

"I opened the door ... and I just closed my eyes and shot twice and then my gun stopped working," the man told investigators.

When deputies arrived, Betty's body was lying face down just inside the front door. 

Deputies and a K-9 team searched the area around the home for the second man, but he was not found. He later turned himself in, deputies said.

The Sheriff's Office said the residents were cooperating with investigators, and the 21-year-old roommate who fired the shots had no criminal history that would prevent him from having a gun.

Deputies said it appeared the roommate was within his rights under state law to defend himself, but prosecutors will review the case.

Anyone with information about the home invasion is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911. Callers can also remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 888-277-8477.