August 20, 2009
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

DEPUTIES LINK SEXUAL BATTERY SUSPECT TO ARMED ROBBERY

The criminal charges against Elias Carbajal, Sr. are mounting. Already wanted for a violent sexual attack in DeLeon Springs, Volusia County Sheriff’s investigators have now linked the 26-year-old Carbajal to an armed robbery of a grocery store in Pierson. Deputies are continuing their search for Carbajal and are asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact authorities. Anyone with information who wants to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida and qualify for a reward of up to $1,000. 

Deputies have been searching for Carbajal ever since a female acquaintance reported that he stormed into her house on Aug. 16 and beat, choked and sexually battered her. Three of the victim’s young children were in the home at the time of the attack, which prompted Sheriff’s investigators to obtain an arrest warrant charging Carbajal with sexual battery and burglary. Carbajal fled the scene, but not before threatening the victim and telling her that he had recently robbed a store in Pierson. One week prior to the sexual attack, on Aug. 9, a masked man with a knife robbed the Pierson Discount Groceries. About 25 minutes prior to the robbery, the suspect was captured on the store’s exterior surveillance camera grabbing a newspaper outside of the business and then walking away. After the robbery, deputies with the help of a K-9 unit recovered the newspaper and the mask behind the grocery store. Crime scene technicians processed the newspaper and lifted two fingerprints that fingerprint technicians with the Sheriff’s Office matched to Carbajal.

After being presented with the evidence collected by Sheriff’s investigators, Circuit Court Judge Hubert Grimes issued another warrant for Carbajal on Thursday charging him with armed robbery. The sexual battery/burglary and armed robbery warrants carry a combined bond of $450,000. Anyone with information on Carbajal’s whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS. Resident can also text a tip by texting “TIP231 plus the message” to CRIMES. Tipsters who provide information to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000. Anyone who prefers to talk directly to a deputy can call the Sheriff’s Office at (386) 943-7866. However, only callers to Crime Stoppers will qualify for a reward.

NOTE:  Previous news coverage, including access to the suspect’s photograph and the surveillance video from the armed robbery, can be accessed by clicking on the following links:

http://www.volusia.org/sheriff/press/090120.htm  
http//www.volusia.org/sheriff/press/090123.htm            http://www.volusia.org/sheriff/press/090126.htm