DELTONA, Fla. — An armed homeowner shot and wounded a car burglar early Tuesday, launching an investigation that led to the arrests of the suspect and his alleged accomplice, Seminole County Sheriff's Office deputies said.
- Two men charged after shooting in Deltona
- Man spotted someone going through his car
- Homeowner shot suspect's knee during fight
The suspect, Justin Lee Braddock, 39, fled after getting shot in the knee in 1000 block of Abagail Drive by getting into a white SUV, which dropped him off at Central Florida Regional Medical Center in Sanford.
Braddock and the driver, Darrell Ray Cantrell, 30, were both charged with burglary of conveyance and conspiracy to commit burglary of conveyance. Braddock was also charged with battery to cause bodily harm while Cantrell was charged with obstruction of criminal investigation.
After undergoing surgery, Braddock was charged with burglary of a conveyance, conspiracy to commit burglary of a conveyance and battery to cause bodily harm.
Braddock is in the custody of Seminole County Sheriff’s deputies at the hospital. His bond will be $30,000 when he is booked into jail.
His alleged accomplice, Cantrell, drove him to the hospital in the same white SUV seen leaving Abagail Drive, authorities stated in a news release.
Deputies say he worked with Braddock as a lookout and getaway driver.
Cantrell was booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford and is being held on a $16,500 bond.
A woman in Cantrell’s SUV whose only involvement was to help stop Braddock’s bleeding by using a belt as a tourniquet as they drove him to the hospital was not charged.
The shooter, a 57-year-old man, also was not charged.
He called a dispatcher at 3:45 a.m., saying someone with a flashlight was riling through his green Nissan Altima.
“The homeowner grabbed his Glock firearm and a flashlight and ran to confront the suspect,” Laura Williams, a spokeswoman for the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, said in a report.
“When confronted, the suspect shoved the homeowner, knocking him to the ground as the two men struggled,” she said. “During the scuffle, the homeowner saw the suspect reach for his backpack, prompting the homeowner to fire his handgun at the suspect.”
He knew he shot the suspect, though he was not sure where. He immediately called law enforcement to report the car burglary and shooting. Roughly 30 minutes later, deputies learned about a male gunshot victim getting dropped off at the Sanford hospital.