This browser does not support the Video element.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has expressed concerns, if not outright anger, over an operation conducted by the Orange County Sheriff's Office inside his jurisdiction.
Five Orange County men, ranging from ages 15 to 19, are facing armed burglary and grand theft charges related to a weekend break-in at a DeBary gun store, where 18 firearms were stolen.
Members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office were watching when the group arrived at SWUB Tactical, at 36 S. Charles R. Beall Blvd., around 3 a.m. Saturday. Orange County deputies said they were conducting surveillance on a stolen Nissan Murano and had followed it from Orange County, through Seminole County and into Volusia County.
"The suspects used bricks to smash their way into SWUB Tactical and then smashed their way into several locked cases containing handguns, shotguns and AR-10 and AR-15 rifles. Orange County deputies then followed the group back to Orlando, where they conducted a traffic stop and took all five defendants into custody. Three of them ran from the vehicle but were apprehended," said Andrew Gant with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
However, the operation is not sitting well with Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who said his agency should have been notified sooner about an alleged crime that was being committed on his turf.
"It's called the hero syndrome. 'I want to be the hero,' instead of calling and working with us," a fired-up Sheriff Chitwood responded. "The fact that you would allow somebody to commit a felony with firearms and then leave the area with those firearms... how were they so sure those guys weren't going to get away? How were they so sure those guns weren't going to get on the street?" he asked.
Just minutes after the break-in, the owner of the gun shop showed up and called 911. Chitwood said, not only could someone have gotten hurt, but also Orange County sheriff's deputies had no business in Volusia County in the first place.
"The fact that we were not notified of what was transpiring until it actually occurred, I just think that's egregious!" Chitwood added.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said his deputies had no prior knowledge of specifically where the suspects would commit a crime and all were apprehended in a location that would least expose anyone to danger. He said they notified Volusia County in a timely manner, and all but one of the weapons said to have been taken during the incident were recovered and returned to the owner.
"Sheriff Chitwood is a great community partner and fellow law enforcement executive that is passionate about keeping his citizens safe, just as I am," Sheriff Demings said in a statement sent to FOX 35. "We have worked together on several cases and will continue to work together on future law enforcement operations ensuring that proper diligence is taken during the planning and execution of any law enforcement operation."
Demings said he stands by his deputies.
"Ultimately, in this case, my deputies made the right decisions which resulted in the safe apprehension of a group of serial burglars," he added.
There were 15 guns recovered from the stolen vehicle in Orlando, deputies said. One more was recovered on one of the suspects and another outside SWUB Tactical, according to investigators. The remaining missing gun was entered as stolen.
The total value of the guns taken from the store was $14,580.