August 28, 2008
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

SHERIFF’S OFFICE SEARCHING FOR SUSPECTS IN ARMED INTRUSION 

Despite concealing their faces with masks, armed intruders who barged into a home in Wilbur-by-the-Sea early Thursday morning were recognized by their victims. One of the victims, a 20-year-old woman, told deputies that one of the intruders was an ex-boyfriend. The intruders were gone when Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, but the investigation is ongoing. 

No one was injured during the episode, which targeted a home on Cardinal Boulevard. The intrusion occurred at about 3:45 a.m., and the victims fled afterwards to a convenience store about a mile away from the scene and reported the incident to the Sheriff’s Office at 3:52 a.m. The victims included two 20-year-old men and a 20-year-old woman, none of whom were injured. One of the victims said someone he knew came to the door early Thursday morning and asked to come in, but the victim refused and told him to leave. About a minute later, two other men -- both wearing a bandana and gloves -- barged through the back door. One of the men was armed with a handgun and the other had a bat. They ordered the two male victims into the kitchen at gunpoint and told them to get on the ground. The intruder with the bat remained in the bedroom with the female victim, who quickly recognized the man as a former boyfriend. The two argued and ended up tussling on the ground. 

The victims, who said the suspects were in the house for no more than three minutes, also said they recognized the intruder with the gun. The victims weren’t certain whether anything was taken, although it’s possible that the suspects grabbed one or more cell phones before bolting out of the house and fleeing the neighborhood in two different cars. One of the vehicles was believed to be a grey, mid-80s Lincoln Town Car. The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate.