Watch: Two suspects linked to I-4 shooting captured after fleeing police, rolling over car

Jeff Jones

DELTONA, FL – The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has reported two suspects are now in custody after a police chase that ended in a wreck.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the two fled from deputies at a high rate of speed, crashing in a rollover wreck following a shooting on Interstate 4 that was caught on camera and also left a bullet hole in the windshield of a passing vehicle carrying 4 people.

“The innocent occupants of the vehicle weren’t injured, and they were able to provide dash camera footage and a tag number that allowed deputies to track down the suspect vehicle, which took off fleeing recklessly when a deputy spotted it traveling through Deltona, “Sheriff Chitwood said. “The shooting, reported around 4:24 p.m. Saturday, occurred between the 124 and 127 mile markers on westbound I-4. The victims pulled off the interstate and met with a Lake Helen police officer, who confirmed their windshield had been shot, but luckily, none of the four occupants were injured.”


After the suspect vehicle fled from a deputy, Air One took over from overhead and tracked the vehicle as it started weaving through traffic on I-4 and through Deltona, police reported.


The suspects, 23-year-old driver Kobe Deron Hunter and 26-year-old passenger Deon Lenail Brown, were arrested after Hunter lost control of the Toyota Camry while speeding through the Deltona Boulevard intersection on Enterprise Road. The car spun out, flipped and came to a stop near Pepperwood Avenue, where both suspects bailed out and ran into thick brush.

Hunter was taken into custody without incident moments later, but police said Brown stayed in the brush and was apprehended by a K-9 unit shortly after that.

Hunter is charged with aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement. Brown is charged with shooting into an occupied conveyance and 4 counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.

The investigation is continuing and additional charges are possible.

Chitwood reported the shooting is the second one on I-4 in Volusia County in recent weeks. On Sunday, Feb. 21, Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded to reports of a shooting between vehicles near mile marker 113. No injuries were reported.

“Last April, at least 19 vehicles were damaged when a suspect fired a BB gun at passing vehicles on I-4 and I-95. That suspect, Deon Anthony Jones was identified and arrested along with the driver, Tiyana Anderson,” the VCSO reported.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood commended the victims and responding deputies on their quick work identifying, tracking down and arresting the suspects in today’s case, and was extremely thankful no one was injured or worse.

“The scumbags who want to engage in idiotic gunplay on our roads can be sure they’ll receive the full attention of law enforcement and the justice system,” Sheriff Chitwood said. “Fortunately, no one was killed today, but the morons sitting in jail tonight did just about everything they could to tempt fate and cause a tragedy.”

 

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