VOLUSIA COUNTY – Volusia County sheriff’s deputies and a K-9 tracked down a suspect Saturday night after he tried in vain to hide from them by submerging himself in a pond after unsuccessfully trying to rob a nearby Deltona Family Dollar Store, a news release from authorities said.
The release explained that when deputies closed in on the suspect, 29-year-old Sean Torres of Daytona Beach, he was submerged with only his face out of the water. Torres tried explaining that he was “just fishing” and that his fishing pole was in the water. Of the attempted robbery, he claimed "the guy who did it went that way."
The Sheriff’s Office had been alerted to the incident around 8:36 p.m. at the Family Dollar at 951 Doyle Road. Deputies learned a white male with his shirt on his head and a large “Loyalty” tattoo on his stomach demanded money from the store clerk. When the clerk said no, the suspect threatened to shoot him, and reached into the back of his shorts as if he had a gun. Then he ran away without any money, the release said.
According to the release, the VCSO’s Air One helicopter arrived in the area quickly and spotted a person near the edge of a pond next to the store. The helicopter crew guided deputies and a K-9 unit to the area as Torres moved from the edge of the pond into the water. As they moved closer, Torres surrendered with his hands up and slowly trudged back to land, saying he did not want to be bit and would not hurt K-9 Jago. Deputies noticed a “Loyalty” tattoo across his stomach. The store clerk recognized Torres as the suspect who tried to rob the store. The owner of the property with the pond told deputies he’d never seen Torres before and never gave him permission to go fishing.
According to the release, Torres was taken into custody, and while in the back of a VCSO patrol car, he repeatedly shouted and threw himself against the interior, kicking the doors, damaging the vehicle and causing it to rock. In addition to his robbery charge, Torres was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail on a charge of criminal mischief. He remained there Sunday on $30,500 bail.