TWO IN
CUSTODY, ONE
STILL SOUGHT
IN SHOOTING
AT DEPUTY
It
started as a
drug deal
gone bad.
However,
three people
are now
facing
charges of
attempted
murder after
firing on a
Volusia
County
Sheriff’s
deputy while
trying to
flee the
scene of a
robbery. The
deputy
returned
fire, and no
one was
injured. Two
of the
suspects are
in custody,
and deputies
are hoping a
reward of up
to $1,000
will help
lead them to
the third
suspect --
Darryl
Montgomery,
Jr.
The incident
began
shortly
before 1
a.m. Sunday
morning in
Deltona. At
first, the
victims -- a
51-year-old
man and his
55-year-old
wife --
claimed that
they had
pulled to
the side of
S.R. 415
just south
of Howland
Boulevard
after
experiencing
car trouble
while on
their way to
Wal-Mart. As
they pulled
over, the
couple said
they were
accosted by
three men --
two armed
with guns.
The couple
said the two
culprits who
were armed
pointed
their guns
at them and
demanded
money, then
swiped the
woman’s
purse and
took off.
The husband
got out of
the car and
started
yelling for
help as the
suspects
hopped into
a car and
sped off.
The victims
tried to
give chase,
but had to
pull over
again when a
tire blew
out on their
vehicle.
However,
after being
questioned
about
inconsistencies
in their
story, the
couple
admitted
that they
were robbed
by men with
guns who
they had
arranged to
meet in
order to buy
drugs.
However,
responding
deputies
didn’t know
that at the
time. In a
matter of
minutes,
deputy
William
Maxwell
spotted the
suspects’
vehicle
speeding
down Doyle
Road with
its
headlights
off. As
Maxwell
pulled in
behind the
vehicle,
flipped on
his lights
and siren
and tried to
get the car
to stop, the
suspects
drove to
Saxon
Boulevard
and then
drove down a
dead-end
alley.
Deputy
Maxwell
stopped at
the entrance
of the alley
and got out
of his car
to maintain
visual
observation
on the
suspects.
Just then,
the
suspects’
vehicle
turned
around to
face deputy
Maxwell and
several
shots were
fired from
the vehicle
at the
deputy’s
direction.
The vehicle
then sped
past deputy
Maxwell, as
he returned
fire and
then jumped
into his
patrol car
to give
chase.
Deputy
Maxwell
wasn’t
injured and
his patrol
car wasn’t
struck by
any bullets.
Two shots
struck the
suspects’
vehicle, but
the
occupants
weren’t
injured.
Deputy
Maxwell
pursued the
vehicle to a
church
parking lot
on
Providence
Boulevard,
where the
suspects got
out and took
off running
at about
1:01 a.m.
Several
patrol
deputies,
K-9 units
and a
Sheriff’s
Office
helicopter
headed to
the scene to
establish a
perimeter in
the area
where the
suspects
were seen
running. By
1:23 a.m., a
K-9 team had
located two
of the
suspects
along with a
pistol that
was found
tossed in
the back
yard of a
home on
Abagail
Drive.
Deputies
also
recovered
four empty
shell
casings.
Deputies
charged
19-year-old
Germain Dige
of Deltona
and
25-year-old
Charles
Thomas of
Orlando with
attempted
murder,
armed
robbery,
petty theft
and
resisting an
officer
without
violence.
Additionally,
Thomas was
charged with
possession
of a weapon
by a
convicted
felon.
Deputies
continue to
search for
the
27-year-old
Montgomery,
who lives in
Casselberry.
Montgomery
should be
considered
armed and
dangerous.
He’s 5’7”
and weighs
about 190
pounds and
has black
hair, brown
eyes and a
medium
complexion.
Anyone with
information
on his
whereabouts
is asked to
call the
Sheriff’s
Office or
Crime
Stoppers
of Northeast
Florida,
toll-free,
at
(888)
277-TIPS.
Resident can
also text a
tip by
texting
“TIP231 plus
the message”
to CRIMES.
Tipsters who
provide
information
to Crime
Stoppers
will remain
anonymous
and can
qualify for
a reward of
up to
$1,000.
Anyone who
prefers to
talk
directly to
a deputy can
call
Sheriff’s
investigator
Chad Raymond
at
(386)
860-7030.
However,
only callers
to Crime
Stoppers
will qualify
for a
reward.
Update -
6:15 p.m.
Darryl
Montgomery,
Jr. was
captured
Sunday
afternoon
in
Seminole
County
and
booked
into the
John E.
Polk
Correctional
Facility.
The
arrest
was made
by
Volusia
County
Sheriff’s
investigators,
with the
assistance
of the
Seminole
County
Sheriff’s
Office’s
SWAT
Team.
Montgomery
has been
charged
with
attempted
murder,
armed
robbery,
petty
theft,
fleeing
or
attempting
to elude
a law
enforcement
officer
and
resisting
an
officer
without
violence.
