Daytona Beach, FL - The crime rate in the neighborhood around the Camellia Motel should decrease after Daytona Beach Police Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Unit raided the place yesterday (December 4) morning. Patrol Captain Scott Lee says the motel was a haven for drug users and criminals. “We had a group of individuals that entrenched themselves in that property,” Lee added. “They were living out of there. They were abusing drugs, mostly methamphetamine, heroin [and] fentanyl.”
People from the motel were also breaking into vehicles and homes and taking valuable items to support their habits.
During a several-month investigation, DBPD found that motel management knew what was going on but they were allowed to stay on the property despite the issues they were causing. They arrested the property manager 61-year-old Gregory Holman who is charged with maintaining a public nuisance structure.
Six other people were arrested, with 37-year-old Brandon Downing and 35-year-old Jessica Rosson charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with intent to sell. Three others, 31-year-old Shane Smith, 28-year-old Josephine Stanley, and 28-year-old Rebecca Wells are charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of paraphernalia. The sixth person is 43-year-old William Whitehead. He's charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of paraphernalia, adding Possession of Ammunition by a convicted felon, and Resisting Arrest without violence. Downing and Whitehead are also documented gang members.
“I appreciate the community’s support on this,” Lee noted. “If they have any locations in which they believe this type of activity is going on, please report it to us so we can get it to the right unit and get this worked.”
