Headline Surfer® graphic / A homeless man known to frequent the area of Deltona Boulevard and Enterprise Road, as shown here in this screenshot, tried to snatch a woman's purse. His description is posted in the story below. If you see him, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office urges you to please call 9-1-1.DELTONA, Fla. -- When the 36-year-old woman arrived Friday morning at work in Deltona and encountered a man who reeked of alcohol, she didn’t know him by name. But she recognized him as the homeless man who often sleeps on the park bench in front of her business at a plaza on Deltona Boulevard.
When he asked her for money, the woman said she didn’t have any to spare. And that’s when things got physical.
"The man grabbed her purse and tried to yank it away from the victim," Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer®. "During the ensuing struggle, the woman kicked her attacker between the legs, causing him to let go of the purse and run away."
"The man grabbed her purse and tried to yank it away from the victim," Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer®. "During the ensuing struggle, the woman kicked her attacker between the legs, causing him to let go of the purse and run away."
The incident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. Friday. Patrol deputies along with a Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit responded and established a perimeter, but they were unable to locate the homeless man. Deputies have continued searching much of the day and flyers are being posted in area businesses, but the suspect still hasn’t been found.
"Deputies are hoping the public will recognize the man and report his location," Davidson said.
The homeless man was described by his victim as white, 45 to 50 years of age, 5 feet 7 inches tall and between the ages of 45 and 50. She said was unshaven and dirty. He was wearing khaki pants and a blue and red, short-sleeve, button up shirt.
He's known to frequent areas around Deltona Boulevard and Enterprise Road. Anyone who spots a man matching the suspect’s description is asked to either dial 9-1-1 or call the Sheriff’s Office at (386) 860-7030.