February 4, 2008
Brandon Haught
Public Information Office

INVESTIGATORS LOOKING FOR ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA BURGLARY SUSPECT 

Volusia County Sheriff’s Office investigators looking into the Jan. 26 attack of a man in Ormond-by-the-Sea have identified a suspect connected to the incident and obtained a warrant charging him with burglary of a dwelling. Fingerprints left on evidence in the victim’s home belong to 29-year-old Ernest Heape, and may connect him to other home burglaries in the area. The case is still active as investigators continue to work to determine how the victim, Scott McEvoy, sustained the severe head injuries that sent him to the hospital. McEvoy is still being treated at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach. 

McEvoy was found at approximately 11:19 p.m. Jan. 26 on the ground alongside Ocean Shore Boulevard just north of the road’s intersection with Palm Drive. The 58-year-old was believed to have been struck on the head multiple times by an unknown object. Investigators determined that he had been attacked in his home at 8 Ocean Side Drive, and that he had left his home to find help. 

When investigators went to McEvoy’s home to look for clues, they found several fingerprints on items left in the trash. Some of those items were determined to have been stolen from other homes in the area. A later analysis of the fingerprints determined that they belonged to Heape. Based on that evidence, investigators obtained a warrant Friday, signed by Circuit Court Judge J. David Walsh. 

Heape is a white male, approximately 6’2” tall and 160 pounds. His address is 245 Terrace Hill Blvd., DeBary. He has brown hair and brown eyes. Heape may be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about Heape’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (386) 323-0151 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.