A 34-year-old man accused of carjacking another man at gunpoint was arrested in Volusia County on Monday night after he allegedly ditched the vehicle and jumped into the Halifax River.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on Monday, October 6, the male victim contacted law enforcement and advised that a man, later identified as Fort Lauderdale resident Grant Hagood-James, had asked him for a ride on South Atlantic Avenue in Daytona Beach Shores, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim alleged that Hagood-James proceeded to pull out a gun. Hagood-James then allegedly ordered the victim out of the car before driving off in the vehicle.
Later that night, Hagood-James was spotted swimming up to the deck of a restaurant in Port Orange. He then allegedly ran through the restaurant and threw away his shirt before jumping into the Halifax River.
VCSO stated that Hagood-James hid in the mangroves while law enforcement officers utilized helicopters, K-9 partners, drones, and boats to search for him.
With assistance from the Port Orange Police Department, Edgewater Police Department, and Daytona Beach Shores Public Safety, VCSO deputies managed to locate Hagood-James, and he was taken into custody without further incident.
The victim was not hurt, and his car was found on Shamrock Drive in Port Orange. In addition, law enforcement officers allegedly found a gun near a residential yard where the vehicle was recovered.
Hagood-James was placed under arrest and booked into Volusia County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond. He is being charged with armed carjacking.