DELTONA -- It started as a drug deal gone bad and three people are now facing charges of attempted murder after firing on a Volusia County Sheriff's deputy while trying to flee the scene of a robbery, an agency spokesman said Sunday.
The incident began shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday morning in Deltona. At first, the victims -- a 51-year-old man and his 55-year-old wife -- claimed that they had pulled to the side of S.R. 415 just south of Howland Boulevard after experiencing car trouble while on their way to
Wal-Mart.
As they pulled over, the couple said they were accosted by three men -- two armed with guns, Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.
The couple said the two culprits who were armed pointed their guns at them and demanded money, then swiped the woman's purse and took off. The husband got out of the car and started yelling for help as the suspects hopped into a car and sped off.
The victims tried to give chase, but had to pull over again when a tire blew out on their vehicle.
However, after being questioned about inconsistencies in their story, the couple admitted that they were
robbed by men with guns who they had arranged to meet in order to buy drugs. However, responding deputies didn't know that at the time.
"In a matter of minutes, deputy William Maxwell spotted the suspects' vehicle speeding down Doyle Road with its headlights off," Davidson said. "As Maxwell pulled in behind the vehicle, flipped on his lights and siren and tried to get the car to stop, the suspects drove to Saxon Boulevard and then drove down a dead-end alley. Deputy Maxwell stopped at the entrance of the alley and got out of his car to maintain visual observation on the suspects."
Just then, the suspects' vehicle turned around to face deputy Maxwell and several shots were fired from the vehicle at the deputy's direction, Davidson said.
"The vehicle then sped past deputy Maxwell, as he returned fire and then jumped into his patrol car to give chase. Deputy Maxwell wasn't injured and his patrol car wasn't struck by any bullets." Davidson said. "Two shots struck the suspects' vehicle, but the occupants weren't injured."
Deputy Maxwell pursued the vehicle to a church parking lot on Providence Boulevard, where the suspects got out and took off running at about 1:01 a.m. Several patrol deputies, K-9 units and a Sheriff's Office helicopter headed to the scene to establish a perimeter in the area where the suspects were seen running.
By 1:23 a.m., a K-9 team had located two of the suspects along with a pistol that was found tossed in the back yard of a home on Abagail Drive. Deputies also recovered four empty shell casings, Davidson said.
Deputies charged 19-year-old Germain Dige of Deltona and 25-year-old Charles Thomas of Orlando with attempted murder, armed robbery, petty theft and resisting an officer without violence. Additionally, Thomas was charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Darryl Montgomery, Jr. was captured Sunday afternoon in Seminole County and booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility.
The arrest was made by Volusia County Sheriff's investigators, with the assistance of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office's SWAT Team. Montgomery has been
charged with attempted murder, armed robbery, petty theft, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence.