VSO Arrests Suspect in Deltona Armed Carjacking

Date Added: October 17, 2020 10:00 am

Laura Williams, Office of
Public Affairs & Media Relations

DELTONA MAN, 25, CHARGED WITH ARMED CARJACKING
Homeowner Had Confronted Suspect Who Used Crowbar to Burglarize Home

A 25-year-old man has been arrested and charged with armed carjacking after he used a crowbar to attempt to break into a Deltona home, wrestled with the homeowner, then stole the victim’s blue 2019 Ford Edge SUV.

Julian Portillo, 25 (DOB 7-20-1995) of Deltona was charged Friday night in the incident that occurred last weekend on Cottageville Street in Deltona.

The male homeowner called law enforcement officers just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday to report that he found a male in his driveway armed with a crowbar, trying to break into his home. The victim said the suspect raised the crowbar as if to strike him but the homeowner grabbed the crowbar and the two men wrestled in the driveway. The suspect forcibly stole the victim’s keys from his pants pocket and fled in the homeowner’s vehicle.

On Friday night, Volusia Sheriff’s detectives and Deltona Crime Suppression Team deputies were conducting proactive patrols. Deputies observed a Honda Civic with an expired license plate parked in front of Portillo’s residence, 1391 Bladon Ave., that turned out to be stolen out of Winter Garden. Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and took Portillo into custody.

During their investigation of the Civic, deputies located a Florida license plate and a key fob belonging to the stolen Ford Edge. Detectives and deputies soon located the blue Ford Edge parked in the back yard of Portillo’s residence, partially concealed with a car cover.

Following interviews with Portillo and a search warrant executed at his home, Portillo was charged with grand theft motor vehicle of both vehicles, armed carjacking, armed burglary of an occupied residence, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief and having no driver’s license.

He was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail with no bail allowed.