A 13-year-old boy in Daytona is facing multiple counts of burglary and grand theft after he was arrested with a stolen gun and to multiple car break-ins.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, multiple car break-ins were reported on several streets along Elkcam Boulevard in Deltona between March 27 and April 11.
During the ensuing investigation, detectives obtained video surveillance from the area that showed a thin male suspect wearing a hoodie and riding a bicycle.
On Wednesday, deputies responded to a call from a mother indicating she had found a firearm in her home. The mother told police that she’d been having behavioral issues with her son and was searching her property for money that he had stolen from her.
During her search, she found a 9mm pistol on the side of the house, near an air conditioning unit.
After the mother contacted law enforcement, her son packed a bag and ran away from the home.
The mother provided a description of her son and detectives determined that it matched that of the suspect previously caught on camera. Authorities checked video surveillance from a neighbor’s home that showed the boy leaving his home on the night of several burglaries. In the surveillance video, the boy is wearing the same clothing as the suspect.
The boy was later located at his great grandmother’s house.
During an interview with police, he admitted that he was responsible for the break-ins, as well as a package theft. The boy also admitted to taking the pistol from a pickup truck near his home.
The boy, who was not named by police due to his age, was charged with four counts of burglary to a conveyance, four counts of petit theft, grand theft of a firearm, and armed burglary of a conveyance. He was transported to the Volusia Family Resource Center for processing before he was taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice.