A multi-agency operation into a recent string of robberies in Volusia County has led to eight arrests, the majority of them teenagers.

Officials say the investigation required a significant amount of police work from deputies and officers, and even some good fortune to culminate the investigation in raids at six houses Tuesday night and two more on Wednesday.

On Monday, a sheriff's deputy happened to see two masked men across a parking lot, shortly after a robbery was reported. That deputy gave chase and was able to apprehend one of the suspects, who provided detailed information about recent robberies in Deltona, including who was involved in committing the crimes. Investigators say the suspect provided information about the crimes that was never publicly released.

Arrest and search warrants were prepared, and six teams were put in place to serve those warrants in what officials describe as a "large-scale operation" to arrest the remaining suspects.

While executing the warrants on Tuesday and Wednesday, law enforcement uncovered an abundance of evidence that included a BB gun, gloves, masks and even clothing matching what armed robbers wore on surveillance video.

Six out of the eight arrested in the raids were juveniles, some as young as 16 years old. Investigators say the arrests have resulted in solving an additional 12 armed robberies in Volusia County dating back to early August, with all but one in Deltona. The investigation is ongoing, additional arrests are expected and more charges may be filed.

Law enforcement agencies across Central Florida are working together as they have sufficient reasons to believe the group was behind robberies spanning multiple counties. Officials say a 16-year-old who was arrested has confessed to nearly a dozen armed robberies in Volusia and Seminole counties.

In addition, investigators have obtained confessions in several other cases and will be filing additional criminal charges in the coming days.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office initially solved the four robberies with arrests in August of 24-year-old Alander Strother and an accomplice, 20-year-old Cassandra Hutchins, who investigators say admitted scouting out the robbery locations for Strother.

When the operation was concluded, six people had been taken into custody on a variety of robbery charges that included two robberies from over the weekend in Deltona; a hold-up at a Chinese restaurant on Doyle Road and the attempted robbery, beating and carjacking of an employee from another Chinese restaurant on Saxon Boulevard that happened about 40 minutes apart.

The eight suspects arrested so far are charged with involvement in the following robberies:

  • Aug. 3:           Circle K, 1805 Elkcam Boulevard, Deltona
                           Suspects: Strother, Hutchins

  • Aug. 4:           Circle K, 1805 Elkcam Boulevard, Deltona
                           Suspects: Strother, Hutchins          

  • Aug. 5:           Deltona Liquors, 1806 Elkcam Boulevard, Deltona
                           Suspects: Strother, Hutchins

  • Aug. 12:         Circle K, 2885 Howland Boulevard, Deltona
                            Suspects: Strother, Hutchins

  • Sept. 20:        Winn-Dixie, 2880 Howland Boulevard, Deltona
                            Suspects: All three suspects are minors

  • Oct. 10:          Valero, 1535 E. New York Avenue, DeLand
                            Suspects: Suspect is a minor

  • Oct. 11:          Lucky Garden Restaurant, 2820 Doyle Road, Deltona
                           Suspects: All three suspects are minors

  • Oct. 11:          Robbery/carjacking of a person, 2120 Saxon Boulevard, Deltona
                           Suspects: All three suspects are minors