May 8, 2009
Gary Davidson
Public Information Office

KANGAROO EXPRESS IN DELTONA ROBBED

Volusia County Sheriff’s investigators are searching for a man who robbed a Kangaroo Express on Welcome Center Drive in Deltona Thursday night. While the robber implied he was armed, no weapon was seen and no one was injured during the hold-up.

The Sheriff’s Office was notified of the robbery at 10:26 p.m. Within three minutes, patrol deputies began arriving at the scene. A Sheriff’s Office helicopter and K-9 unit also joined in the search, but the suspect wasn’t located. Witnesses said the suspect first came into the store to use the bathroom. Afterwards, he walked out and stayed in the parking lot, then came back into the store a few minutes later and borrowed a pen from an employee. After returning the pen, the suspect left the store, but came back a third time to buy a carton of cigarettes. As the clerk was ringing up the sale, the suspect handed her a note claiming to have a gun and demanding money. While no weapon was seen, the suspect held one hand to his side, as if to imply that he was armed. The clerk complied and the robber fled the store with an undisclosed amount of money and two cartons of cigarettes. He was last seen running north on Welcome Center Drive. Deputies think he may have met up with an accomplice before leaving the area.

The suspect was described as a black man between the ages of 20-25, He’s about 5’8” and weighs approximately 160 pounds and has black hair and was wearing jean pants, a purple shirt and a black hat. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS. Resident can also text a tip by texting “TIP231 plus the message” to CRIMES. Tipsters who provide information to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000. Anyone who prefers to talk directly to a deputy can call investigator A.J. Pagliari at (386) 860-7030. However, only callers to Crime Stoppers will qualify for a reward.