Man arrested for 'terrorizing' Orange County community during crime spree, police say

DNA links suspect to string of robberies, carjackings

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A man who had been wanted since April in connection to an Orange County crime spree was arrested Wednesday in Pine Hills after DNA linked him to the armed robberies and carjackings, according to the Winter Garden Police Department.

Police said deputies from the Orange County Sheriff's Office are questioning Calvin Love, 45, to determine if he is also connected to similar crimes in their jurisdiction.

On April 1, authorities say Love shot a man at a drive-up ATM on Colonial Drive in Winter Garden, then ran to a nearby Walgreens and carjacked a man for his Mitsubishi Outlander. The crimes continued into the night with robberies at a CVS and a Dunkin' Donuts, police said.

The Mitsubishi Outlander was later found scorched near Willie Mays Parkway and Kozart Street.

Winter Garden police said that DNA from one of the crime scenes helped them identify Love as a suspect. It's unclear how the DNA was collected, but authorities did say in April that an item of clothing possibly belonging to the suspect was found in the Walgreens parking lot after the carjacking.

On April 4, another carjacking and robbery were reported on Colonial Drive. The Orlando Police Department said that a woman was carjacked at the Petco store at 2410 East Colonial Drive then shortly thereafter her vehicle was used to carry out a robbery at a nearby Walgreen's.

The vehicle was later found on fire at Hankins Park.

Authorities at that time released a composite sketch and surveillance video of the suspect and said they believed he was connected to the crime scene in Winter Garden on April 1. 

"This is an extraordinarily dangerous person who is kind of terrorizing our entire community at this point," an Orlando police public information officer said. "We believe he is very dangerous and anybody who runs into him could be in great danger."

Records show that Love was arrested in October after Orlando police say he robbed a SunTrust on Kirman Road while wearing a disguise.

Authorities have not yet said what charges Love is facing in connection to the string of crimes. He has not yet been booked into the Orange County Jail.


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