TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Newly released body camera and dash camera video provides a closer look at the final moments of a Daytona Beach murder suspect who died after crashing while fleeing Titusville police earlier this week.
The video, released Wednesday by the Titusville Police Department, captures the brief pursuit, the crash and the nearly two-hour response that followed before officers found 54-year-old Robert Reyes Jr. dead inside his overturned vehicle.
Police say the chase began less than an hour after Reyes was accused of forcing his way into the Daytona Beach townhome of his estranged wife, Jacqueline Reyes, and shot and killed her Monday night.
According to Daytona Beach police, the couple had been separated for about a year after Jacqueline moved to Daytona Beach to get away from Reyes. Investigators say Reyes wanted her back but became enraged after learning she had moved on and was dating someone else.
Police also say Jacqueline was on the phone with the couple’s son during the shooting. Their son then called 911.
Investigators believe Reyes attempted to take his own life inside the home after the shooting, but say the gun malfunctioned.
Daytona Beach police issued a BOLO to surrounding agencies. Nearly an hour later, FLOCK license plate reader cameras alerted Titusville officers that Reyes’ vehicle had been spotted near Sand Point Park.
Dash camera video shows officers activating their lights before Reyes accelerated away. Within seconds, investigators say he crossed the roadway, jumped the median and crashed into a pond.
“When we got behind him, he took off across the roadway, jumped over the median and went sideways before we could even call it,” a Titusville police officer said in the released video.
Body camera footage shows officers approaching the overturned vehicle and reporting that no one had exited. As the response grew, officers repeatedly ordered Reyes to come out while additional law enforcement agencies and a SWAT team arrived.
The video also captures an officer saying, “Let me get my rifle,” as crews worked to secure the scene. Later, as tactical teams moved closer to the vehicle and several banging sounds were recorded.
When officers reached Reyes, they say they found him dead inside the overturned vehicle.
Investigators believe Reyes died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.