MAN ARRESTED FOR CARJACKING NEAR DAYTONA BEACH

MAN ARRESTED FOR CARJACKING NEAR DAYTONA BEACH

An Altamonte Springs man faces a half-dozen charges after snatching one victim's vehicle keys from an open motel room, biting another man on the hand and fleeing in a stolen van. The whole chain of events started Friday morning when the vehicle Andrew Buxton was originally driving ran out of gas and he decided to take any other available vehicle he could find. However, an off-duty Volusia County Sheriff's deputy who happened to be driving by noticed the commotion in the motel parking lot near Daytona Beach and was eventually able to hold Buxton until on-duty law enforcement officers arrived.

Buxton was driving a van he had taken from a roommate, who had not given him permission to do so, and ran out of gas at about 11 a.m. near the Super 8 Motel at 2992 W International Speedway Blvd. The 30-year-old had walked to a gas station and bought a couple dollars worth of fuel when he noticed a Florida Highway Patrol trooper looking at the van. This spooked Buxton and rather than return to the van, he walked to the motel. There he found an open motel room door and a set of keys sitting on a table inside. He grabbed the keys and ran to the victim's van, but the owner, who had been in the room, raced outside and confronted Buxton. The thief managed to start the van while the owner, 60-year-old John Smith from Virginia, jumped into the passenger side and fought Buxton for control. Smith shut off the van, forcing Buxton to try something else.

Buxton spotted another man, 79-year-old William Humm from Bellevue, walking by and he then tried to wrestle car keys away from the new victim while yelling, "I'm going to take your car." When Humm refused to let go Buxton resorted to biting his hand. Smith then ran over and hit Buxton a few times. But with Smith now away from his van, Buxton took the opportunity to get back in and drive away.

Meanwhile, off-duty deputy Matthew Seltzer was driving by and saw the fight. He stopped to see what was going on and ordered Buxton to stop, but Buxton drove off. Seltzer followed Buxton while he called 911. Then Buxton pulled over along the side of an Interstate on ramp in order to get out and close the van's side door that had been hanging open. At that time Seltzer pulled up, got out of his vehicle and told Buxton that he was a deputy. He ordered Buxton to the ground at gunpoint where he stayed until other law enforcement arrived.

After his arrest, Buxton said that he had been using cocaine the previous three days and had barely slept the whole time. As a result, he was unable to think clearly. He was charged with unarmed carjacking, burglary, battery, robbery, battery on a person 65 or older, and driving with a suspended/revoked license. He was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.