DeBary, FL - Three males, including two juveniles, are facing a slew of charges after investigators tied them to a break-in at DeBary Elementary School.
The Volusia Sheriff's Office was called out to the school last Tuesday (April 21st) after an employee at the school found the teacher's lounge vandalized with fire extinguishers. Deputies were also called the night prior after the assistant principal was told that a fire alarm was going off at the school. The campus was searched but nothing out of the ordinary was found until the following morning.
Now, new reports released from VSO show that deputies met up with two male subjects the night that the fire alarm went off. Those subjects were 18-year-old Cameron Morgan and 16-year-old Dante Sexton. According to deputies, both subjects are well known to law enforcement in DeBary.
The report states that a woman called deputies after hearing the alarm. She reported that she saw four people, possibly juveniles, near the wooded area behind the school on Hammock Oak Circle. They also advised one of the juveniles was on a green dirt bike and another had white pants. A deputy who responded to the area found Morgan and Sexton both leaving the wooded area. Both males were confronted by the deputy after they were seen in the area immediately after the alarm went off.
They stated they were walking down Donald E. Smith Blvd when they heard the alarm activate. They also stated they were coming from a friend's house, before denying being inside of the school.
Morgan was wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt with "KING" on the front, blue jeans, and black with red Nike slides. Sexton was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, white tennis shoes, and very light colored jeans, consistent with the description provided to deputies.
While interviewing both males, another nearby deputy heard a noise in the adjacent wooded area where the two males came out of. Deputies report that Morgan's facial expression appeared nervous as he quickly stated he had no knowledge of anyone else being in the woods. A second unit was requested to assist the other deputy with searching the wooded area, but the search yielded negative results.
It was noted that as a second unit was called in, Morgan, immediately jumped on his cell phone and started texting. Furthermore, deputies report that during their contact with the subjects, Morgan continued to look over his shoulder toward the wooded area as if he was looking for someone or something. Sexton kept rubbing his face and hair as if something was in it or irritating his skin.
Later on, VSO learned from the fire department that the alarm wasn't set off manually, but rather by a "duct alarm."
When detectives arrived to check out the scene, investigators searched the wooded area where the males were found and discovered sevem small containers of hand sanitizer, four red small toys and a black bag containing a bottle of "Dark Noir" cologne, shower gel and after shave.
Investigators then went off to check the school's storage room. There, detectives located the same small bottles of hand sanitizer recoveredfrom the wooded area. Detectives also located an empty plastic container labeled, "Dark Noir" which is consistent with the black bag containing the "Dark Noir" products recovered from the woods. There was also empty packaging missing its contents and blue rubber gloves that were found nearby.
The day after the alarm went off, investigators went to the supposed home of their friend. There, detectives met his grandfather, who explained that his son – who has split custody of their friend – was staying at the house, along with him, and stated that he's been there all weekend. Detectives advised that they were in the early stages of an investigation for the incident at Debary Elementary School. They also explained two subjects were contacted in the vicinity of the school during the incident and stated they were coming from his house.
The grandfather stated that no one visited his house the night prior. However, after he checked the surveillance footage from his Ring system, he saw their friend leaving the house around 8:07 the night before and returning just before 8:30. When detectives asked for the footage, the grandfather refused. They also asked to see if they could talk to his grandson, but, the grandfather got in contact with the boy's father, who stated that he doesn't want him talking to investigators without him present.
Instead, investigators continued on to the next house, where they were able to obtain surveillance footage. That footage showed three subjects walking the tree line of a golf course behind the house. After further review, they noticed that one of the subjects wore clothing similar to those worn by the male found with Morgan.
After reviewing the footage, deputies met with a woman off of Hammock Oak Circle who stated the following. Just before pulling into her driveway on that Monday night (April 20th), she observed three males who she believed to be juveniles standing on the right side of Hammock Oak Circle directly behind the school. She advised the next morning she drove by the same location and observed a water bottle standing up on the side of the road. She advised this was the exact location the three males were standing.
That same night, just before 9:30, she heard an alarm coming from outside. She could not identify where the alarm was coming from so she exited her front door to see where the alarm was coming from. After stepping outside, she recalled hearing someone from the direction the three males were earlier yelling, "Let's go." The woman was asked if she could provide a better description of the three subjects she witnessed on the side of the road. She stated she could not remember much more than the one subject's pants.
Detectives provided a photo of the suspects. The woman then identified Sexton as one of the males she saw that night.
That following Wednesday (April 22nd), detectives canvassed the area of Red Maple Burl Circle and Hammock Oak Circle in order to obtain a path of travel of Sexton and Morgan who stated they came from their friend's nearby residence. That same day, they obtained more surveillance footage from other buildings to help build the case.
The footage contained clips of Morgan and Sexton with another unidentified juvenile. The three of them were seen together before the incident and after, when they were all caught on camera jumping the outside wall of the school after the fire alarms went off.
Following further analysis of their collected evidence, detectives charged both Morgan and Sexton with burglary, two charges each of grand theft related to the fire extinguishers.
That following Friday (April 24th), Morgan was arrested at his home in connection to the incident. After his arrest, Morgan was given a chance to talk to detectives.
According to their report, Morganimmediately denied being inside the Debary Elementary School, stating that he was with Sexton instead. He then explained that the two of the rode their bikes to their friend's residence and met up with him in the golf course. They stayed approximately 20 minutes and left the community and before riding to Orange City. They later rode their bikes back utilizing Donald E. Smith Blvd where they were contacted by deputies just after hearing the fire alarm from the school.
Detectives advised Morgan he was not being truthful and advised that their investigation revealed several surveillance cameras indicating a different scenario to his story. Morgan became upset and admitted to being in the area behind the school hanging out with Sexton and the third suspect, who was later identified as "Nathaniel." Nathaniel was then identified as 17-year-old Nathaniel Miller.
Morgan further stated he met with Sexton and rode their bikes to Eagle's Nest Park which is located directly across the street from Debary Elementary School. While at the park, Miller asked Sexton and Morgan if they wanted to go inside the school and admitted to being in there multiple times before. Morgan stated he refused to go in the school. They all met then met their other friend in the golf course.
After approximately 20 to 30 minutes, the friend went home while Morgan, Sexton, and Miller remained in the area, hanging out near the wall bordering the school.
Morgan then advised that all three of them jumped the wall entering school property but denied going inside the school. He then stated Nathaniel and Sexton went inside the school together.
He claims that when heard the fire alarm and saw the lights flashing he watched Sexton and Miller run from the school. All three of them jumped the wall at the back of the school and ran out of the community. Morgan stated he knew about the fire extinguishers being sprayed inside the school because Miller posted it on Instagram live.
Miller was also charged in the incident, facing the same charges as Morgan and Sexton, minus the deliquency charge held by Morgan. Booking photos of Miller and Sexton are not available, due to their age.
