DEBARY -- A contractor wanted for fraud and grand theft in Volusia County was found and arrested this morning in Galveston, Texas, Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught reported.
Eric Todd Young, 35, faces multiple charges for writing bad checks and doing incomplete, shoddy work for DeBary flood victims who sought help following Tropical Storm Fay last fall.
DELTONA -- An 83-year-old man was struck and killed by a van while walking along a Deltona street earlier tonight, Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught reported.
The incident happened at about 7:06 p.m. as Jack Theison was passing in front of 1851 Trumbull Drive. A van driven by Wilfredo Palomares backed out of the home's driveway and knocked Theison down and ran over him with the rear tires. Palomares then tried to pull forward, running him over a second time, Haught said.
DEBARY -- The home wasn't even hers, but that didn't stop Libra Latham from renting the same DeBary house to three different people. Volusia County
Sheriff's investigators, however, put a halt this week to the rental scam by turning the tables on the 37-year-old mastermind, Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said.
Now, Latham is in jail on nine felony offenses, with additional criminal charges likely to follow, Haught said.
DAYTONA BEACH -- Total passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport decreased 34 percent in December compared with December 2007, said Vickie Pleus, Volusia County spokeswoman.
During December, 27,043 passengers arrived and departed through DBIA, compared with 41,084 in December 2007. For the 12-month period ending Dec. 31, 594,871 passengers traveled through the county-operated airport, compared with 705,475 travelers in 2007 and representing a 16-percent decrease.
DELAND -- Below-average rainfall over the last few months has fire officials in Volusia County on alert for possible brush fires and encouraging citizens to practice fire safety, said Shelley Szafraniec, county spokeswoman.
Officials warn the torrential rain from Tropical Storm Fay a few months ago only offset the drought the area was already experiencing.
DELAND -- Staff from the Volusia County Personnel Division will meet with representatives of the International Association of Firefighters union, which represent county firefighters, from 1:30 - 5 p.m. today, to discuss collective bargaining negotiations.
The meetings will be in the second floor conference room of the Volusia County Personnel Division, 230 N. Woodland Blvd., Suite 262, DeLand.
PIERSON -- A 17-year-old Pierson girl was badly burned when she was accidentally doused with gaoline during a bonfire late Friday night, Volusia County Sheriff's Office spokesman Gary Davidson confirmed.
The girl, whose name was not immediately available, was flown by Sheriff's helicopter to the Orlando Regional Medical Center's burn unit.
The Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident.
PIERSON -- A man described by witnesses as drunk and playing with a gun in a reckless fashion died Friday night after accidentally shooting himself in the head, Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.
The shooting occurred at about 9:14 p.m. outside of a home on Murphy Road in Pierson. Sheriff's deputies who are investigating the shooting haven't positively determined the victim's name, but he's believed to be either 37 or 42 and was visiting from North Carolina.
DAYTONA BEACH -- A 50-year-old Longwood man was found dead near his BMW of the Interstate 4 off-ramp at U.S. 92 Thursday morning.
The man was identified as Donald Heintz. There were no signs of foul play and an autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of death, Daytona Beach police said.
An employee found the man's body when co-workers at his workplace in Daytona Beach were worried about him when he didn't show up, police said.
DELAND -- Four masked men armed with guns smashed their way into the Howard Johnson Inn east of DeLand early this morning, pistol-whipped the clerk and made off with the money from the hotel's cash register, Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.
The attack resulted in lacerations to his face and head of the 52-year-old male clerk who thrown to the ground and pistol-whipped on the back of the head. The clerk was transported by EVAC ambulance to Florida Hospital DeLand for treatment of his injuries, Davidson said.
