Victim is Volusia County's first reported homicide of 2013

Volusia County's first homicide of the New Year was reported in the 900 block of South Parsons Avenue outside DeLand as shown here.

DELAND -- Sheriff's investigators have are investigating what appears to be Volusia County's first reported murder of 2013, after a shotgun victim was dropped off late Tuesday at Florida Hospital Hospital-DeLand where he died less than an 40 minutes later, an agency spokesman said.

The victim was described only as an adult male, and though authorities know his identity, they're not releasing any further information until his family is first notified.

A still photo taken from a surveillance camera provided to media by New Smyrna Beach police shows robbers confronting the young clerk early Wednesday inside TK's Right Stop, 218 N. Dixie Freeway.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The cops are looking for five people who robbed a clerk at T.K.'s Right Stop early this morning and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Here is a synopsis of the 3 a.m. strong arm robbery at TK's, 218 N. Dixie Freeway, also known as US1, as described by New Smyrna Beach Police Sgt. Christopher Roos: A dark-colored car with five people in it pulled up to the store. Three of them walked inside and accosted the 20-year-old clerk, Charles Michaux, with two of the assailants them jumping on him and holding him down while the third grabbed a cash box before they all three bolted out the door and hopped into the car, which sped off.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- When it comes to police teamwork, there is no better partnership than duo than Bruce Holcomb and his K9 partner Buddy. 

Prosecutor: Victim killed in 'ambush' shoot-out

Jerry Crew was found guilty of second-degree murder in the April 16, 2011, shooting death of 19-year-old Donnell Ellis Jr., even though he didn't pull the trigger. Ellis was actually killed when he and Crews lured a drug dealer and two associates into a motel room with the intention of robbing them and shots were fired.

DAYTONA BEACH -- After a lasting four days, a Volusia County jury deliberated for three hours Thursday before finding 56-year-old Jerry Roy Crew of Holly Hill guilty of second-degree felony murder and robbery, offenses that could net him a sentence of up to life in prison.

35-year-old killed instantly by two rounds to head from .22-caliber Ruger rifle

HOLLY HILL -- Police Chief Mark Barker shook his head in disgust in describing what set off 55-year-old Thomas Mathew Hahn Jr. to the point where he allegedly retrieved a .22-caliber Ruger rifle and blasted away at housemate Robert Gray until he lay dead in the living room of the residence they shared with two others.

When cops arrived, they found 35-year-old Gray dead on the floor of Hahn's living room in the 800 block of May Avenue just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday while Hahn sat in a chair near the body.

Requests for details from Daytona cops by Internet newspaper go unanswered 

DAYTONA BEACH -- Daytona Beach police responded to a report of a possible explosive device that turned out to be a toy hand grenade tied to a utility poll across the street from the Star Family Shelter in the 600 block of North Segrave St. that had caused traffic tied-ups just after 11 p.m. Thursday, according to a story in the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

The story indicated the device was destroyed by the Sheriff's Bom squad. Calls by Headline Surfer to the DBPD's office public information office as well as e-mail messages went unanswered.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- No arrests have been made in two separate gunshot slayings in the city since the weekend, though Police Chief Michael Chitwood indicated to other local media outlets his officers have identified a person of interest in the second slaying.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A 23-year-old man was shot to death in the 600 block of Verdell Street near South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at 6:49 p.m. Saturday, according to a story published in the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Headline Surfer was unable to reach anyone in the Daytona Beach Police Department to provide information about the shooting.