VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A Sanford teenager is behind bars in connection with an armed carjacking of a man's Corvette over the weekend.
Police said 16-year-old Robert L. Smith is accused of following a 76-year-old Deltona man to his home, pointing a gun at him and demanding his sports car.
Deputies said the victim told them he had just returned to his home on Star Court around 3:05 p.m.
after shopping at a thrift store in Orange City when the carjacker put a gun to his head and demanded he hand over the keys to the red 2016 Corvette.
“This could have turned tragic. A young thug points a gun at a 76-year-old man and steals his car from his driveway,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. “We made this a priority due to the severity of the crime.”
The Corvette was found backed into a spot at an apartment complex, located about a half-mile from the thrift store,
shortly after the victim notified the Sheriff's Office of the incident, deputies said.
Deputies were able to use OnStar in-vehicle security and a sheriff's helicopter to locate the car.
Smith is in juvenile detention in Sanford with no bail. Officials said Smith will be extradited to Volusia County in a few days. He is charged with armed carjacking and grand theft.