UPDATE (August 16): - Daytona Beach Police found 47-year-old Victor Rios in the Volusia County Jail, arrested on unrelated charges, yesterday (August 15). They received information on Rios identity after posting information on social media and news outlets. The store clerk that Rios assaulted during the robbery, positively identified Rios in a photo lineup. He remains in the Volusia County Jail, charged with battery and robbery without a firearm, His bond is set at $17,500.
Daytona Beach, FL - The Daytona Beach Police Department needs the public's help in finding who robbed a South Ridgewood 7-11 early yesterday morning (August 13th).
Officers were called to the location just before 2:15 in reference to a suspicious incident. While en-route, they learned that a male was seen running into the store as employees were attempting to close the business. They also said that the reporting party left the scene and didn't provide any further information.
According to the report, the inside of the business was dark and appeared to not have power. As they assessed the business, officers were approached by an employee who emerged from the back of the business and approached the front doors who stated that the store had just been robbed.
They asked her if she knew what was taken and who the suspect was, she said she didn't know as she was in the back of the store during the incident, she only heard it.
The employee led DBPD to the back of the store where another employee was waiting. That employee said that around 2:00 they were at the front counter of the business when the power went out. They approached the front doors to lock up to keep customers out of the building while the power was out.
But, as they walked back to the counter he turned around to see a Hispanic male forcefully pulling the front doors open. The suspect immediately entered the business and began to assault the employee by grabbing him and threw him against the front window, before they were repeatedly struck.
The suspect grabbed the employee by the hair and dragged him behind the counter, demanding that both registers be opened, which the employee helped with. They began to take money out of both registers while the employee remained on the floor. After emptying the drawers, the suspect kicked the employee in the head and told him to stay down.
He then left the business and the employee stayed on the ground for several moments before looking to see where the suspect went, but they were already away from the scene.
The employee described the suspect as a Hispanic male, around 5'6", with dark hair and a slim build, wearing a green shirt with the text "Irish American" written on the front of it. He didn't see any tattoos and said he could identify him if he saw him again.
But, according to the narrative, the employee saw the suspect come into the store around one or two hours prior to the robbery to purchase coffee. But, his card was declined and he left without the merchandise. The employee didn't have his card information and didn't know his name, saying he's never seen him before that day.
Surveillance footage was also not available at the time because the building had lost power.
While speaking with the employee, the reporting party arrived back on the scene and began to talk with officers. She said she was at the business buying food. When she left, she observed a black vehicle parked in front of the front doors. As she left she saw the male get out o the car and force the front doors open. When she saw him attacking the employee she called the police, became afraid and left the scene.
She came back after dispatch called her and said police were there and it was safe to go back.
Police searched the property and found out that the power meter was removed from the meter box and thrown on the ground, causing the power outage at the store. The face of the power meter box was also removed, exposing the wiring.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective David Dinardi at 386-671-5219 or DinardiDavid@dbpd.us
