2 Arrested In Arson Of NSB-Area Home; Vast Amounts Of Suspected Stolen Property Located At Defendant's Property

Date Added: July 27, 2018 11:01 am

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

2 ARRESTED IN ARSON OF NSB-AREA HOME
Vast amounts of suspected stolen property located at defendant’s property

Volusia County sheriff’s detectives have arrested two people on arson, burglary and theft charges in connection to a house fire Wednesday in the New Smyrna Beach area.

The defendants, 35-year-old David L. Debenedictis (DOB 7/11/1983) of New Smyrna Beach and 32-year-old Angela Halcomb (DOB 12/10/1985) of Port Orange, were each in custody in the Volusia County Branch Jail on Friday morning.

Firefighters and deputies responded to the fire at 3065 Turnbull Bay Road around 6 a.m. Wednesday. No one was in the home at the time of the fire. When the flames were out, it was discovered there was a safe inside the house that was cut open with a saw. Guns, jewelry and cash were missing from the safe. Two trailers were also missing from the property, and an industrial grill was missing from a shed.

On Thursday afternoon, New Smyrna Beach police found Angela Halcomb in an unrelated stolen vehicle. While removing Halcomb from the vehicle, police noticed another Florida license plate sitting on the rear floorboard. It belonged to one of the trailers reported stolen after the fire.

Halcomb was also in possession of several pieces of jewelry when she was arrested. There was jewelry sitting on the front passenger seat and a pressure washer in the back of the vehicle.

The owner of the torched home confirmed the jewelry and pressure washer were hers.

Further investigation revealed that Halcomb had acted as a lookout during the early morning hours Wednesday at 3065 Turnbull Bay Road while Debenedictis went into the house and broke into the safe. Detectives believe Debenedictis injured himself while breaking into the safe and set a fire to destroy evidence.

Debenedictis, who has served time in prison on convictions for armed robbery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and grand theft, was being held in jail Friday on $75,000 bond on charges of accessory to arson, armed burglary, grand theft, accessory to grand theft and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Halcomb was being held on $62,000 bond on her charges: armed burglary, grand theft, accessory to arson, grand theft firearm and grand theft of a motor vehicle.

Detectives are in the process of executing a search warrant at Debenedictis’ home and have already located a vast amount of what they believe is stolen property. Additional charges are expected, as Debenedictis is believed to be responsible for a significant number of burglary and theft cases in the Southeast Volusia area.