DELAND, FL — On the afternoon of yesterday, deputies from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed carjacking incident on South Thompson Street in DeLand. According to the victim, two masked suspects, dressed entirely in black, forcibly removed him from his black 2019 Chevrolet Corvette at gunpoint. One of the assailants also assaulted the victim with the firearm before commandeering the vehicle.
The stolen Corvette was quickly located by the sheriff’s helicopter, Air One, which monitored the vehicle from above as it evaded pursuit by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office (VSO) deputies and DeLand Police Department officers. The chase concluded off SR 472, where one suspect was apprehended inside the vehicle, and the other was captured after attempting to escape on foot into the surrounding woods.
Authorities successfully detained both suspects by 4:32 p.m., identifying them as Mikell Bailey, 23, of DeLand, and Britten Polk, 31, also from DeLand. Bailey faces charges of armed carjacking and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, in addition to existing warrants for burglary, grand theft, and witness tampering. Polk has been charged with possession of a firearm/ammunition by a convicted felon and violation of probation.
Following their arrest, both individuals were incarcerated at the Volusia County Branch Jail without the option for bond. Recovered from the scene were two firearms, a black mask, gloves, and additional evidence linking the suspects to the crime. The investigation remains ongoing, and law enforcement officials are urging anyone with further information to come forward.