Deputies: 3 arrested after armed home invasion where victims were tied up, child hid in locked room
DELTONA, Fla. - Three people have been arrested after deputies say several armed, masked suspects entered a Central Florida home and tied up several adult victims while a child hid undetected inside a locked bedroom.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said the incident happened just after 10 p.m. on Saturday on Eden Drive. The suspects apparently approached the open garage of the home and confronted two victims, pointing guns at them and demanding that they empty their pockets.
They said that the armed suspects then entered the home, retrieving other adult victims and bringing them to the garage, where they tied their hands and made them sit down.
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Deputies were reportedly called to the scene as the incident was in progress. Upon arrival, the deputies heard victims screaming in the garage and observed suspects inside, rummaging through the home. At least one man was spotted with a rifle.
Deputies ushered the victims safely away from the home and set up a perimeter around the scene, the Sheriff's Office said. They were then alerted that a seven-year-old child was hiding in the house.
Deputies were said to have then entered the home, looking for more suspects, and found none. They reportedly fled the house after finding out that someone inside the home called 911. Deputies found the child, who was unhurt, and took her safely to her parents. The victims in the home invasion suffered minor injuries.
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However, the fleeing suspects did not get far, as one was arrested in the driveway and two in the backyard, deputies said. They have been identified as 30-year-old Jermaine Oliver, 39-year-old John Anderson, and 32-year-old Derrick Mathis.
Mugshots of John Anderson, Derrick Mathis, and Jermaine Oliver. (Photos from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office)
They are reportedly being held in jail on no bond.
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This story was written in Orlando, Florida.