February 23, 2011
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

SURVEILLANCE IMAGES HELP DEPUTIES NAB BURGLARY SUSPECTS

Fast-acting Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies made short work on Tuesday of a failed burglary caper near DeLand, nabbing two men after recognizing them from images captured on a surveillance camera.

The escapade started at around 2 p.m., when the victim dashed into a Hess Food Mart on North Woodland Boulevard and left her wallet behind. When she returned to her car, her wallet along with all of its contents was gone. A witness later told responding deputies that he saw two men running from the scene. When the victim called her bank to cancel her debit card, it had already been used five times. However, the card was declined each time. Deputies went to one of the stores where the card was declined to view surveillance video of the attempted transaction. Based on the images, a deputy later spotted the two suspects -- 41-year-old Alfred Horn of Eustis and 25-year-old Robert Pursley of DeLand -- outside of a grocery store, less than two miles from where the wallet was taken. While the deputy was securing Horn, Pursley took off running. He was captured after a brief foot pursuit, and both were in custody by 5:23 p.m.

Horn, who admitted trying to use the stolen debit card, was charged with burglary, fraudulent use of credit cards and attempted use of the identification of another without consent. Pursley was charged with burglary and fraudulent use of credit cards. Both were booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.