ORANGE CITY -- Two men armed with guns burst in through the front door of a home near Orange City Thursday night, but were chased off by a resident who was
also armed, Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said.
The suspects never made any demands during their short stay.Instead, they fled empty-handed back out the front door. No one was
injured during the brief encounter. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is hoping that a reward of up to $12,000 will prompt anyone with
knowledge about this or any other home invasion in the county to come forward, Haught said.
The confrontation occurred at 255 S. Cedar Ave. at approximately 9:45 p.m. A husband and wife were watching television in their bedroom when
they heard a loud crash in the living room. When they investigated they were surprised by two men brandishing guns in their kitchen, Haught said.
The victims retreated to their bedroom where the 36-year-old man armed himself with a handgun. He warned the suspects that he had a gun, and the men then bolted. The 37-year-old wife called 911 and several deputies, along with a K-9 unit and a sheriff's office helicopter responded. However, the suspects were not found. The couple had two young children in the house at the time of the incident.
One of the would-be robbers was described as a dark-skinned male in his early 20s, about 5 feet 8 and 145 pounds. The other man was also a dark-skinned male in his late teens, about 5 feet and 140 pounds. They both had something covering their faces and wore hooded sweatshirts.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Sheriff's Investigator Greg Seymour (386) 668-3830 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at 1-888-277-TIPS. Callers to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.
Additionally, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office has posted a $10,000 reward for tipsters who help authorities solve any home invasion in the
county, and the New Smyrna Beach Police Department pledged an additional $1,000. In order to qualify for the reward money, persons with information regarding any unsolved home invasion must call the Crime Stoppers' toll-free tip line. If the tip leads to an arrest, the caller will be eligible for an initial reward through Crime Stoppers of up to $1,000. If the arrest results in a conviction, the caller will be eligible for up to $11,000 more in reward money.