SHERIFF'S OFFICE INVESTIGATING CARJACKING AND ROBBERY NEAR DELAND

SHERIFF'S OFFICE INVESTIGATING CARJACKING AND ROBBERY NEAR DELAND

An armed robbery and carjacking near DeLand early Saturday morning quickly led to the arrest of a man and woman who had unsuccessfully tried to outrun Volusia County Sheriff's deputies, and investigators continue to look for three more suspects still at large. Theophylus Williams, 29, of Sanford, was helped by his stepdaughter Tenisha Gadskin, 21, also of Sanford in the targeting of a group of young men who had $5,500 cash on them. No shots were fired and none of the victims were injured.

Gadskin knew some of the victims and was aware that they typically carried a lot of cash. She met up with them Friday night as they went to a DeLand club; meanwhile, she called and texted Williams to concoct a robbery plan. She also met up with Williams at the club where they continued their plotting. After a night of partying at the club, the group of six total victims checked into the Howard Johnson hotel, 2801 E. New York Ave., DeLand, Saturday morning. When the victims were in the parking lot behind the hotel at about 5:45 a.m., Williams and his accomplices struck. All four robbers brandished handguns as they confronted all the victims and forced three men, who were thought to have the large amounts of cash, to take off their pants. Three robbers took the clothes that had the $5,500 in them in and fled.

Williams took off separate from the other three and sped away in a victim's truck that had Gadskin and an innocent female victim still inside. After one of the victims at the hotel called 911, deputies soon thereafter found the stolen truck speeding westbound on I-4. The truck refused to stop for deputies. Williams tried to get off the Interstate on exit 104, but took a curve too fast and rolled the truck. He then slipped out of a window and ran. A Volusia County Sheriff's K-9 team tracked him down, though, and he was arrested without further incident. Gadskin suffered minor injuries in the crash and was taken to a local hospital where she was treated and released back to deputies. The other woman in the truck didn't suffer any injuries.

Williams was charged with: criminal conspiracy to commit a felony or violent act, carjacking with a deadly weapon, three counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, six counts of false imprisonment, kidnapping, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, feeling and eluding, and driving with a suspended license. Williams was booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Seminole County.

Gadskin was charged with: criminal conspiracy to commit a felony or violent act, carjacking with a deadly weapon, three counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, six counts of false imprisonment, kidnapping, and a narcotics offense (for possession of an ecstasy pill). Gadskin was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail.

The case is still active as investigators work on identifying and finding the remaining three robbers. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (386) 736-5999 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, 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.