Archive

DAYTONA BEACH - A city worker in Daytona Beach was arrested April 18 on charges of stealing money in her former job in the accounting department at Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach police said.

Elgena Wallace, 32, of Port Orange, who has worked in the Daytona Beach utility-department for about a year, was charged with organized scheme to defraud.

Wallace is accused of taking $40,000 from student checks and depositing the money into her own bank account. She faces a potential prison sentence if convicted of the felony charge.

DELTONA -- Volusia County narcotics agents found 416 marijuana plants in three homes in Deltona during raids July 9-10, with a combined street value of more than $900,000. Narcotics investigators conducted an investigation over the course of several months based on an initial citizen complaint and were able to obtain search warrants.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate Christmas Eve's homicide of a 36-year-old DeBary woman, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.

Christina Barber was found dead Wednesday afternoon inside her home on Parkview Heights Boulevard. The Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy this morning, which confirmed that Barber's death was the result of a homicide. The cause of death is not being released at this time for investigative reasons.

DELTONA -- A former youth pastor and missionary from Deltona is facing federal charges after Volusia County Sheriff's investigators found thousands of images of child pornography on the man's computer. Investigators wrapped up an eight-month investigation last week with the indictment of Joel Price on two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said this afternoon.

DELAND -- A gun-wielding man robbed a clothing store near DeLand the night of Dec. 3 and forced the store owner to strip off his pants and lock himself in a bathroom, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office reported.

DELTONA -- A 19-year-old man was charged April 30, with attempted sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl with a knife near the Deltona Library.

A passerby frightened off the attacker after she screamed for help, a sheriff's spokesman said.

DEBARY -- Volusia County Sheriff’s investigators filed felony charges Nov. 20, against a 22-year-old man accused of masturbating several times while driving alongside a bus full of high school children. The incidents, which occurred over the past two weeks in DeBary, were brought to a halt when a concerned parent alerted the Sheriff’s Office after going on a morning stakeout in search of the suspect.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican front-runner early on for the presidency, and the first of the big-name candidates, made a Jan. 15 pit-stop at Southeast Volusia Republican Club headquarters.

Giuliani, who dropped out well before the primary season got into full swing, told some 500 well-wishers the campaign in Florida was going to be "intense."

Giuliani asked the party faithful to pledge their support in advance of others preparing campaign visits: "How about voting for me?"

DEBARY -- With all signs pointing to the victim's boyfriend as the killer, Volusia County Sheriff's investigators have obtained a warrant charging 50-year-old Robert Deo with 1st-degree murder, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said tonight.

The Sheriff's Office's Major Case Unit has been investigating the homicide since Wednesday's discovery of Christina Barber's body inside her DeBary home. But so far,
investigators have been unable to locate Deo.

DELEON SPRINGS -- A fire at 1 this morning at the Strawn Property was the work of an arsonist, Volusia Counbty spojkeswomn Vicki Pleus said tonight.

Volusia County Fire Services responded to 911 calls for the blaze fire at 5175 N. Hwy 17.

Crews arrived to find the single-story, wooden structure fully engulfed in flames. Volusia County Fire Services Battalion Commander John Moak reported 16 crew members launched a defensive attack from the outside upon arrival. On scene were three engines, one squad, two battalions, and three tankers from Volusia County Fire Services.