Grand theft auto, accident and chase result in arrest for DeLand man

Southwestern Middle School briefly locked down during search

By Pat Hatfield
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Mar 27, 2009 - 1:34:10pm

An alleged case of grand theft auto and a dramatic crash on South Adelle Avenue landed 20-year-old Jevon Montgomery of DeLand in the Volusia County Branch Jail March 27.

Lt. Paul Proctor of the DeLand Police Department told The Beacon a call to report a stolen Mustang came in from owner Michael Sheppard at Country Club Apartments on East Beresford Avenue at 8 a.m. Friday.

Investigator Jason Floryance began an investigation, determining a man had obtained the keys to the vehicle earlier, and had used them to take the Mustang, Proctor said. Details of how the keys were obtained were not available.

Proctor said Officer Jeff Kirkland spotted the vehicle at Parsons and Beresford avenues. Kirkland then lost sight of it.

"A short time later, we found the crash scene," Proctor said.

That was around 11:30 a.m., at the corner of Lisbon Parkway and Adelle Avenue. The Mustang had collided with a Jeep.

The Jeep's driver was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Trooper Kim Miller of the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Florida Highway Patrol handled the crash scene, as DeLand police continued to search for the driver of the Mustang.

The suspect had taken off on foot, Proctor said.

Police officers quickly set up a search perimeter. Nearby, Southwestern Middle School went on lockdown as a safety precaution, as the search went on.

An assisting K-9 unit found Montgomery hiding in a shed in the woods near the intersection of Cherry Street and Adelle Avenues, Proctor said.

Montgomery was arrested and charged with grand theft auto, resisting arrest without violence, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. Bond was set at $3,500, according to DeLand Police.

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

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