TITUSVILLE, Fla. — A man wanted in connection with a homicide in Volusia County died Monday night after a police chase in Titusville ended with his car crashing into a pond at Sand Point Park, officials said.
How It Started
Titusville police said the Daytona Beach Police Department warned them that a homicide suspect’s vehicle had entered the city. Officers were able to track the car using Flock license plate reader cameras as it moved through Titusville.
The Chase
Police tried to stop the vehicle near Washington Avenue and Garden Street, but the driver took off, heading east on Max Brewer Memorial Parkway. The chase ended when the car went into a pond at Sand Point Park.
Because officers believed the suspect could be armed and dangerous, they pulled back from the area and called in a SWAT team along with an armored vehicle. Several agencies showed up to help while officers tried to talk to the man.
Titusville’s Interim Police Chief, Tyler Wright, said the man was <cite index=”1-1″>ultimately… pronounced dead</cite> inside the vehicle.
What We Know So Far
The man was found dead inside the car after the standoff. Police haven’t confirmed how he died — that will be up to the medical examiner. Investigators say drowning is a possibility since the car ended up on its side in the water, but they’re being careful not to jump to conclusions this early.
No officers fired their weapons during the incident, and no one on the police side was hurt.
Police also said the suspect doesn’t appear to have any ties to Titusville. The Titusville Police Department is looking into the death itself, while the original homicide case out of Daytona Beach stays with that department.
Officials credited the fast response to cooperation between several agencies — Daytona Beach Police, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, and Titusville Police — along with the Flock camera system that helped track the vehicle.
What We Don’t Know
Police have not released the suspect’s identity, and the exact cause of death is still pending confirmation from the medical examiner.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available from law enforcement.
