DELTONA, FL – The Volusia County Sheriff’s Department has released bodycam footage of deputies arriving on scene at a home invasion in Deltona. In the video, a child calls 9-1-1 to notify police that her family has been taken hostage by gunmen as she hid quietly under furniture in her bedroom. As police arrived, screams were heard from the garage and police first rushed in to rescue the girl. Then the officers moved towards the garage when gunman, at least one armed with what was described as an AK-47 by responding officers.
On Saturday night, deputies responded to a 911 call about a home invasion in progress on Eden Drive in Deltona.
The first deputies to arrive on the scene could see an armed suspect inside and hear cries of distress coming from the garage area. As more deputies converged on the area, the garage door opened and a suspect came running out, later followed by several people with their hands tied behind their backs.
Two other suspects were caught running away out the back. As the suspects were secured and the victims taken to safety, it was learned a 7-year-old girl was still hiding inside the house. Deputies made entry to clear the house, found the child hiding under a chair in her bedroom, and carried her out to safety.
Volusia sheriff’s detectives today are investigating a Deltona home invasion that occurred Saturday night in which several armed, masked suspects entered a home and tied up several adult victims, while a child hid undetected inside a locked bedroom.
The incident occurred just after 10 p.m. at a home in the 1400 block of Eden Drive when the suspects approached the open garage and confronted two victims, pointing guns at them and demanding they empty their pockets. The armed suspects then entered the home, retrieving other adult victims and bringing them to the garage where they tied the victims’ hands and made them sit down.
Deputies were called to the scene as the incident was in progress and, upon their arrival, heard the victims screaming in the garage. As deputies approached, they observed suspects inside, rummaging through contents. At least one male was observed armed with a rifle.
Deputies ushered the victims to safety away from the home as deputies set up a perimeter around the scene. That’s when they were alerted that a 7-year-old child was hiding in the house. Deputies entered the home, searching for other suspects, and found none. She was located unhurt and was carried safely outside to her parents. The victims suffered minor injuries in the incident.
Eventually, the robbers learned that someone inside the residence had called 911. This prompted a large commotion and the robbers opened the garage door to flee the residence and were confronted by deputies.
One suspect was arrested in the driveway and two were captured in the backyard. They are identified as:
Jermaine Oliver, 30, (DOB 05-10-1990), charged with home invasion robbery with a firearm, five counts of kidnapping while armed with a firearm, one count of kidnapping a child under 13 while armed with a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
John Anderson, 39, (DOB 10-31-1981), charged with principal to home invasion robbery with a firearm, five counts of principal to kidnapping while armed with a firearm, and one count of principal to kidnapping a child under 13 while armed with a firearm;
Derrick Mathis, 32, (DOB 05-11-1988) charged with home invasion robbery with a firearm, five counts of kidnapping while armed with a firearm, one count of kidnapping a child under 13 while armed with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The trio was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail and remain held on no bail allowed.
