VOLUSIA COUNTY

Two men from Jacksonville are in the Volusia County Jail accused of a multi-county crime spree involving Apple watches.

Tamara Sytch, 49, a WWE Hall of Famer, was arrested on DUI charges.

The man accused of stabbing to death a couple in Daytona Beach earlier this month was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury.

Of the 88 motorcyclists sent to the trauma unit at Halifax Health, 43 were from out of state.

Port Orange police did not give details on how the crash occurred but said the rider of the motorcycle died at the scene of the crash.

At least three people died in five fiery crashes early Thursday that shut down a 20-mile stretch of the Interstate 95 in Florida, officials said.

A 25-car pile-up in Volusia County leaves more than a dozen of people injured and shuts down the highway.

A woman walking her dog Thursday night in DeBary was injured by a black bear, according to the Florida wildlife authorities.

A Florida photographer captured a sequence of photos showing dolphins playing and eating near a young surfer on New Smyrna Beach Sunday at sunrise.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said police were able to stop a potential mass shooting at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Thursday.

A 14-year-old runaway accused of trying to shoot central Florida sheriff’s deputies during a standoff has been ruled competent to stand trial.

The Florida Highway Patrol says a central Florida motorcycle deputy was injured in a crash with another vehicle.

A Volusia County Sheriff’s Office sergeant involved in a shootout with two foster children talked during a news briefing Friday about the incident that took place in June.

A 10-year-old boy drowned after getting caught in a rip current off a Florida beach.

Officials say eight central Florida sheriff’s deputies have been cleared of wrongdoing in a shootout with two children.

Authorities say a carjacking suspect shot two K-9s early Saturday in central Florida, while trying to flee from sheriff's deputies who returned fire and wounded him.

A Jacksonville murder suspect has been arrested in Volusia County.

Florida Republicans are honing their messaging for the 2022 election cycle and have launched a new ad describing themselves as a ‘Freedom Firewall.’

An exit off Interstate 95 in Florida had to be closed for three hours after 100 homing pigeons fell off a truck and refused to move, posing a driving hazard to motorists.

A vehicle involved in the shooting of a Daytona Beach police officer was found Saturday in Alachua County, authorities said.

A multi-agency manhunt for a man accused of shooting a Daytona Beach police officer in the head ended early Saturday morning when he was captured near Atlanta, authorities said.

A missing 1-year-old Volusia County girl was found safe, according to a Facebook post Saturday by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

As Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young leads the investigation and the manhunt for Othal Wallace, who is accused of shooting one of his officers, it's clear--it's personal.

A 14-year-old girl accused of breaking into a Volusia County home and using guns inside to shoot at deputies made her first appearance before a judge Tuesday from a bed. Deputies said she is still receiving medical care at a juvenile detention facility.

It’s not every day that a 92-year-old retires from a job.

The Florida Highway Patrol says two people died and four were injured in a crash on a Volusia County road.

Police said 15-year-old Julie Ann Hanson was found in a cornfield near 87th Street and Modaff Road in July 1972. She was stabbed 36 times.

After 12- and 14-year-olds opened fire on his deputies Tuesday night, Volusia County’s sheriff is lashing out at Florida’s Juvenile Justice system, saying it is not equipped to handle the crimes that some children are committing these days.

Two foster children broke into a Volusia County home Tuesday night, then used guns they found inside the residence -- including an AK-47 -- to repeatedly fire at deputies for about 30 minutes, sheriff’s officials told WKMG-TV.

A Florida sheriff says his deputies did everything they could to de-escalate the situation after a 14-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy broke into a home, found weapons and opened fire on officers.

Deputies in central Florida shot a 14-year-old girl who they say shot at them multiple times using a pump-action shotgun. The teen, who had run away from a juvenile group home with a 12-year-old boy, was in stable condition after surgery, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a news conference late Tuesday. An angry Chitwood said the assault on law enforcement officers by two armed children was “something I’ve never seen in 35 years in policing.”

Memorial Day is coming, and it got us thinking: What are your plans for the holiday weekend?

Prosecutors are still weighing whether to charge 14-year-old Aiden Fucci as an adult in the death of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey. Fucci is facing a second-degree murder charge.

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway will be open to fans at 100% capacity for the upcoming August race.

A man was arrested Monday after a traffic stop and a carjacking in Flagler County led to a high-speed chase that ended in Volusia County, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

A 64-year-old woman suffered a possible shark bite while she was sitting on a paddleboard in the water off a Florida beach.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – A van carrying vacationers returning to Maryland crashed on Interstate 95 in central Florida, killing three of the 11 on board, authorities said. The dead included a 4-year-old girl and her 19-year-old sister from Glenarden, Maryland, Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Kim Montes said in a news release sent late Sunday. A 37-year-old man from Marlboro, Maryland, was found dead under the van, Montes said. A 5-year-old child was airlifted to a hospital in Orlando and was reported to be in stable condition, Montes said. Three were in critical condition, and the others, including the driver, were in stable condition, Montes said.

Deputies on Saturday rescued a 73-year-old woman from a car that crashed into a retention pond in Florida, authorities said. Volusia County deputies responded Saturday evening to reports of a car that went into a retention pond in the DeLand area. The deputies worked together to get the 73-year-old driver out of the sinking vehicle. Let’s go!”Infrared aerial video also captured the moment the deputies finally dragged the driver out of the car. The time from when the first deputy arrived until everyone was out of the pond spanned two minutes and 30 seconds.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Jacksonville men were arrested last week on suspicion of trying to buy catalytic converters off the black market, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. The two arrests were among five the Sheriff’s Office made as part of a sting operation intended to crack down on a recent string of catalytic converter thefts throughout Volusia County dating back to November. AdIn Florida, secondary metals recyclers are required to register with the state, and they also must keep paper records of their transactions. Amel Osmanovic, 19, and Amir Osmanovic, 26, both of Jacksonville, are charged with violations of secondary metals recycler regulations. Three other men, hailing from Orlando and Pinellas Park, are charged with acting as unregistered secondary metals recyclers.

A 21-year-old man from Omro, Wisconsin, and his 18-year-old sister were killed in the head-on collision, and two of their relatives in the backseat were seriously injured. Bodycam video posted on YouTube by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office shows a deputy chasing the suspect and detailing his speeds and maneuvers. The deputy jumps off the chase when the driver hits his brakes and heads the wrong way up the interstate. Chitwood said the Wisconsin family just missed their exit just before the crash happened. The driver then fled, got on the interstate and weaved between cars at high speed with its lights off, Chitwood said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At 10 p.m. Wednesday, a tropical storm warning was issued from the Flagler/Volusia County line northward to St. Andrews Sound in Georgia. As of 10 p.m. the center of Eta was located about 55 miles northwest of St. Petersburg and had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. Weakening is expected as Eta moves on shore which will be followed by rapid weakening throughout Today. Tropical storms and tropical depressions are typically poorly organized and, as such, oftentimes, a freak area of torrential rains can explode rather randomly leading to extreme rainfall amounts -- amounts of more than 4-5″ over a rather short period of time, say 6 hours. As Eta gets closer, we will update this story with what we can specifically expect as Eta approaches.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A man who was wanted on charges of domestic battery and false imprisonment is now also facing drug charges, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Deptuies were called to a tire shop in DeBary on Friday. A K-9 was brought in to help. Deputies say they found crack cocaine, fentanyl, two handguns and about $3,500 after searching the vehicle. Menefee was also charged with trafficking in fentanyl, trafficking in cocaine, possession of a weapon/ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia.

DELAND, Fla. – Storms damaged buildings, power lines and cars Tuesday afternoon in Volusia County, with weather officials trying to confirm a possible tornado. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service told news outlets that it wasn’t immediately clear whether a tornado had touched down in DeLand. Forecasters said they detected what looked like a tornado on the radar, but they would survey the area Wednesday to confirm it. A tornado warning was issued around 4 p.m. Tuesday, and residents were urged to take shelter immediately. Shortly after the storm, DeLand officials posted photos of the damage on the city’s official Twitter page.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. The need for classroom supplies is compounded in the age of COVID-19 but members of the Clay County community are coming through for educators with online donations, one teacher said. Were shy about asking for materials that we definitely need, Bader said. As the deliveries are received, recipient teachers post photos of the supplies theyve received along with a note of heartfelt thanks. Full Screen 1 / 14 Teacher giftsOther area school districts also have Stock Our Schools Facebook Groups including St. Johns County School District, Flagler County Schools and Volusia County School District. The Clay County group can be found here and the Leon County group can be found here.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A 22-year-old surfer was bit by a shark in New Smyrna Beach Friday afternoon, according to Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue. The Sanford woman was on her surfboard in chest deep water around 5 p.m. when a shark chomped on her foot, according to Capt. She did not see the shark. The bite marks the fourth in Volusia County this year, Malphurs said. An 11-year-old boy was bit on the foot a week earlier by a shark in New Smyrna Beach.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Less than 100 miles south of Jacksonville, where people are demanding the release of body camera footage recorded by officers during police-involved shootings, Volusia County’s sheriff has shown success quickly making public such footage from his department. Deputy-involved shooting: 5/12/20 *WARNING: Contains video footage of a fatal shooting* Body camera and Air One video footage of this week’s deputy-involved shooting of an armed suspect in Deltona is provided here. even if it’s bad.”That’s been Chitwood’s philosophy on police-worn cameras since 2012, first as Daytona Beach Police Chief and now Volusia County sheriff. “Even when people had a complaint and they came in and viewed the body camera video and ... say, ‘Well, that’s not how I perceive what happened.‘”How does his department handle releasing body camera video that clearly shows his deputies violating police department standards and procedures? Chitwood said being transparent and releasing body camera footage goes a long way in putting credit in your bank account, so to speak.

ORANGE CITY, Fla. – A police officer responding to an emergency call hit a woman who was crossing the road early Monday, killing her, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The 41-year-old officer from the Orange City Police Department had his emergency lights activated when he hit the woman, Lt. Kim Montes said in a news release. The officer's sports utility vehicle hit the 51-year-old woman, Montes said. The woman, who was not in a crosswalk, died at the scene. Troopers did not release the names of the officer or the woman.

The suspect, who admitted to victimizing at least three children, was with young children at the time of his arrest. The detectives received the Missing Childrens Child Protection Award, which was announced as part of the 37th annual commemoration of National Missing Childrens Day. This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of law enforcement officers who have made a significant investigative or program contribution to protecting children from abuse or victimization. The suspects phone revealed hundreds of pornographic images and videos, and the detectives arrested him for child molestation and possession of child pornography. The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.

Deputies hit by bottles at massive block party in Volusia CountyPublished: May 18, 2020, 11:01 pmDeputies said they were hit with cups of alcohol, bottles and bar stools after they made arrests at a weekend block party involving thousands of party-goers, officials reported Monday.

DELAND, Fla. – Deputies said they were hit with cups of alcohol, bottles and bar stools after they made arrests at a weekend block party involving thousands of party-goers, officials reported Monday. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office estimated 3,000 people were at the outdoor party spanning several locations in DeLand that started Saturday afternoon and lasted until early Sunday. A deputy injured his knee, and an police officer who was hit by a jar had a minor head injury, the sheriff's office said. A passenger in a vehicle pointed a rifle or shotgun in the direction of a deputy and pedestrians gathered at a gas station, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies were at the block party for crowd control and to keep cars from blocking traffic, not for enforcing social distancing as a result of the coronavirus, the sheriff's office said.

Ron DeSantis’s plan to slowly reopen the state’s economy, hospitals can resume scheduling non-emergency procedures starting Monday. With that in mind, DeSantis held a press conference Sunday alongside doctors at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach to encourage potential patients to visit Florida hospitals if they are concerned about their health. On March 20, DeSantis issued an executive order directing hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, office surgery centers, dental offices and other health-care providers to cease performing elective services. “We took a lot of these actions to be able to prevent the hospitals from being overwhelmed,” DeSantis said. DeSantis last week decided to lift the order and allow elective procedures to resume May 4.

People walk up and down Huntington City Beach during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Huntington Beach, California, U.S., April 25, 2020. The United States on Friday recorded 36,491 new cases of COVID-19, a record daily high, according to a Reuters tally. Global deaths linked to the virus passed 200,000 on Saturday, more than one quarter of them in the United States, the tally shows. That wasnt supposed to happen.Overchuck said he fears the return of thousands of spring breakers and tourists who in normal times are drawn to Smyrna and other county beaches. The focus on testing comes as the crisis appears to be subsiding in New York, the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, with hospitalizations falling to their lowest in three weeks.

Volusia County sheriff’s spokesman Andrew Gant said that John Doe 1986 has been identified as Howard “Kip” Evans, and Jane Doe 1991 was identified as Doris Regina Chavers. Volusia County sheriff’s investigators worked Evans’ case, following various leads and tips throughout the years, but were unable to get his identification so Evans’ case went cold and became known only as “John Doe 1986,” Gant said. The Medical Examiner’s Office is working with Evans’ family for the release of his remains, Gant said. In Chavers’ case, the woman was last seen alive at her mother’s Sanford home in August 1989. Volusia detectives contacted Chavers’ daughter to deliver the news and said she was relieved that her mother had been found, authorities said.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A man was arrested Thursday after shooting a 5-month girl and a 10-year-old boy, killing the grade-schooler, said authorities in Florida. Police officers arrested Terrance Young less than two hours after he fled the scene of the shootings in Daytona Beach, according to a news release from the Daytona Beach Police Department. Young, 37, who is from South Florida, shot both children with a rifle, but the motive wasn't clear, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department. Young was being held on outstanding warrants from Volusia and Miami-Dade counties for fleeing and probation violation. Authorities said charges were pending for Thursday's shootings, so there was no court record yet for Young.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida has topped 280 reported cases of hepatitis A this year, with the largest numbers in Duval and Volusia counties. As of Saturday, 281 cases had been reported statewide, with 60 in Duval County and 25 in Volusia County, according to state Department of Health numbers. Other counties with double-digit numbers of cases were Brevard, with 17; Polk, with 16; Charlotte, with 13; and Citrus and Clay, with 12 each. Florida was hit with a major outbreak of hepatitis A in 2019, with 3,396 cases reported statewide. Hepatitis A, which causes liver damage, is spread through such things as fecal matter, sexual contact and intravenous drug use.

This Florida woman scratched her way to be two million dollars richer. Joyce Klarberg, of Edgewater, Florida, won the first $2 million top prize from the Florida Lottery’s new 100X Scratch-Off game, according to lottery officials. The winning scratch-off was purchased at the Publix on 2970 South Ridgewood Avenue in Edgewater. The 100X Scratch-Off ticket costs $10 and features eight prizes of $2 million. According to lottery officials, the game’s overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.46.

WORLD GOLF VILLAGE, Fla. – Three vehicles in St. Johns County were among 19 damaged Wednesday evening in a possible shooting rampage that investigators say began on Interstate 4 in Central Florida and continued up Interstate 95. “I was going down I-4 and somebody shot at my car and blew out my window,” one caller told a 911 dispatcher. Full Screen 1 / 8 Several vehicles were damaged Wednesday night in what the Florida Highway Patrol is calling a possible road rage incident in St. Johns County. According to FHP, three vehicles in St. Johns County sustained minor damage on the highway near International Golf Parkway. “I’m really upset that I have to replace this window, but, I mean, all things considered, it could’ve been much worse,” she said.