Executive Summary
- Incident Overview: Four suspects were arrested after an armed carjacking in Daytona Beach led to a police chase.
- Suspects: One adult male, identified as Joseph Luna, and three teenagers were taken into custody.
- Pursuit Details: The chase involved Seminole and Volusia County agencies, ending in a crash in Port Orange.
- Evidence Recovered: Police seized a handgun, ski masks, and gloves from the vehicle.
Authorities in Volusia County arrested four individuals, including one adult and three juveniles, on Wednesday following an armed carjacking in Daytona Beach that escalated into a multi-county vehicular pursuit, according to law enforcement officials.
The incident began when the Daytona Beach Police Department issued a warning regarding a vehicle reported stolen at gunpoint. The driver, identified by police as Joseph Luna, allegedly fled from Seminole County Sheriff’s Office deputies before crossing county lines into Volusia County. A Port Orange Police Department officer subsequently located the suspect vehicle behind a gas station and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
According to the Port Orange Police Department, Luna refused to yield and fled the scene, eventually losing control and crashing the vehicle into a road sign. Officers immediately detained two teenage passengers who remained inside the crashed vehicle, while Luna and a third teenager attempted to flee the scene on foot.
A Volusia County Sheriff’s deputy, assisted by a K-9 unit, successfully apprehended one of the fleeing suspects, while the second was captured shortly thereafter. Following the arrests, police reported the recovery of a handgun, ski masks, and gloves from inside the stolen vehicle. All four individuals face charges of armed carjacking, with Luna facing an additional charge of fleeing and eluding.
It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Investigative Outlook
The successful apprehension of these suspects highlights the critical role of inter-agency communication in managing high-speed pursuits across jurisdictional lines. With multiple departments—including Daytona Beach Police, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and Port Orange Police—coordinating in real-time, law enforcement effectively neutralized a public safety threat involving armed suspects. The recovery of tactical gear such as ski masks and gloves suggests the potential for premeditated criminal activity, a factor likely to be scrutinized by prosecutors as they prepare formal charges.
