DeLand, FL - Two DeLand men were arrested Thursday morning after carjacking a 93-year-old woman as she was on her way to a Catholic mass, and the men later crashed the car into some trees.
David Leo Perkins III, age 21, and Darious Matthews, age 20, stole Maraquita Steinmetz's tan, four door Chrysler just before 8:15 AM. Steinmetz, who lives in DeLand, was on her way to St. Peter’s Catholic Church at 359 West New York Ave. Originally, the incident was reported as an armed robbery, but authorities quickly discovered that the men were not armed. One man grabbed the keys from Steinmetz's hand and pushed her aside as he entered the driver's seat of the car, according to police reports.
Steinmetz even tried holding onto the steering wheel of her car, but she lost her grip and fell to the ground as the car drove off. "She was dragged about 20 feet before she let go," says Chris Graham, Community Information Specialist for the City of DeLand. "It's my understanding that she was a little shaken up, but otherwise has some cuts and scrapes."
DeLand Police, along with Volusia County Sheriff's Office, tracked the men down as they fled south, driving erratically and off the road, according to a release by the police department. The men eventually crashed the car into trees off South High St. and West Winnemissett Ave. and tried to escape on foot, but officers caught them and arrested them. Perkins was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. After the crash, the car was a total loss.
Graham says, "It's unfortunate that something like this would happen, actually very disturbing that someone would go to someone's place of worship and basically carjack them in the parking lot. It's very unfortunate, but we were glad to be able to apprehend the suspects very quickly."
There were conflicting reports given by the men to police regarding their relationship to each other and why they stole the car. Some information the men gave officers says they were cousins, and some information says they didn't know each other at all. Both men are being held without bond.
(Perkins's mugshot courtesy Volusia County jail)
(Matthews's mugshot courtesy Volusia County jail)
Featured photo of the car courtesy of City of DeLand social media. Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.
