ORMOND BEACH -- A 24-year-old man was arrested Friday morning after Volusia County Sheriff's investigators identified him as one of the suspects who stole a customized Cadillac Escalade worth $150,000 at gunpoint March 11 from a residence near Ormond Beach.
"The distinctive truck was easily spotted by law enforcement officers moments after the initial robbery near Ormond Beach, and just a few miles later
the driver smashed the truck into a tree and then fled on foot," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.
Wayne Matthews was able to slip away, but only temporarily. A series of clues led investigators to Matthews' identity and they then obtained an arrest warrant for home invasion with a firearm signed Friday by Circuit Court Judge Patrick Kenned, Davidson said. Matthews was arrested at his Daytona Beach home without incident.
The robbery happened at 9:55 p.m. March 11, when Matthews and an accomplice burst into the house at 17 Margaret Road armed with handguns. The pair initially confronted four men in the house and ordered them to the floor. During the ordeal, two men were struck several times on their heads when they didn't comply with the robbers' demands. Matthews and his partner eventually obtained keys to the Escalade and they then sped off in separate vehicles, Davidson said.
When Matthews wrecked the Escalade a few miles away, an Ormond Beach police officer who had pursued him got a good look at him before he fled on foot, Davidson said, adding, as Matthews hid from the network of law enforcement officers searching for him, he called some friends to come pick him up.
Once the friends arrived, the robber jumped into their vehicle and lay down to avoid being seen. However, the vehicle was noticed by a deputy on scene who
copied down its license plate number. These clues helped investigators close in on Matthews, who they later found out had facial and leg
injuries consistent with the type of interior damage found in the wrecked Escalade, Davidson said.
Matthews was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.
Anyone with information about the second suspect is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at (386) 323-0151 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS. Tipsters can also provide information by texting "TIP231 plus the message" to CRIMES. Anyone who provides information to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.