Seville, FL - A 34-year-old man with a long rap sheet is back at Volusia County Jail after deputies link him to two carjacking attempts and two vehicle break-ins in a single day.
Deputies were forced to use a Taser on Anthony Gunther in order to take him into custody yesterday afternoon (January 8th) near the intersection of County Road 3 and State Road 40, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
VCSO spokesperson Andrew Gant tells us investigators are trying to link Gunther to more recent crimes in the area.
"The series of events began around 4:04 p.m. in Seville, where deputies responded to an attempted car break-in [on] Bunnell Road," Gant noted. "The victim at that address spotted the suspect trying to break into a vehicle. The victim fired a gunshot to scare off the suspect, who fled in a red sport utility vehicle."
That suspect - since identified as Gunther - struck again a few minutes later, per Gant.
"Around 4:11 p.m., deputies responded to a call about another [car break-in progress] at the Kangaroo gas station in Seville," Gant added. "The suspect fled that incident in a red SUV."
While deputies were responding to those calls, dispatchers got another call for help 26 minutes later near Pierson Elementary School, with the callers saying someone stole a white Jaguar from a business along North Center Road.
"The suspect description was similar to that in the initial car break call and the suspect left behind a red SUV when he took the Jaguar," Gant stated. "The VCSO helicopter, Air One, soon spotted the stolen Jaguar driving down a road in Pierson."
Despite two successful stop stick deployments on the Jaguar, Gunther kept on driving the vehicle until he got to the C.R. 3 & S.R. 40 intersection. That's when he got out of the Jaguar and tried to take a black Ford F-150, per Gant.
"Deputies were closing in on him [at that point]," Gant added. "A deputy deployed a Taser on Gunther to stop the carjacking, and Gunther was taken into custody."
Investigators later determined that the red SUV Gunther was driving initially was stolen out of Holly Hill earlier in the day.
No injuries were reported.
Gunther faces nine total charges in connection to yesterday's incidents, including two counts of grand theft auto, burglary, carjacking, battery, petit theft, criminal mischief and petit theft. He also faces a felony charge of driving with a canceled or suspended license.
Gunther's bond has been set at $67,000 total on all charges. He's due in court this afternoon for his first appearance in front of the judge.
VCJ records show Gunther has been booked there 22 other times since April 2002, including three separate times between July and December of last year. Among those charges are loitering, petit theft, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.
