DELTONA – Frequent flooding has trapped residents in Deltona as roads remained closed for weeks and even months after major storms Elkcam Boulevard in particular has been a focal point of these issues especially after hurricanes Nicole and Ian the city is close to financing a project to elevate part of the street the Deltona City Commission will vote to accept a grant that will significantly lower the cost of getting the road lifted to give the water somewhere else to go [Watch video below to get latest on project to halt flooding] the opportunity arose with the Hazard Mitigation grant program administered through the state of Florida to make application to look at elevating that roadway and the project has come out with a favorable benefit cost analysis and we’re proceeding with the design engineering and permitting stage,” Deltona Deputy Director of Public Works Phyllis Wallace said [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]  who has lived right off of Elkcam Boulevard for over a decade “About four times this area has flooded,” he said The road has two lakes on the north and south sides The Public Works Department has been working with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to secure a grant to raise a portion of the road to prevent it from filling up with water after hurricanes or heavy storms “The full price tag for Elkcam is estimated at a little over $6 million,” Wallace explained it is a win for the city for this project,” Wallace said “While we cannot promise that it will never be impacted we will be well above the flood stage so that we no longer have the impact of having the roadway closed Wallace added that the city is now waiting for the commission’s approval to move forward with the engineering and design process I think the commission is looking favorably upon it They understand the impacts of having any roadway shut down This news is welcomed by residents like Burke who worry that floods could be life-threatening it’s great because I have a mother-in-law who has Alzheimer’s,” he said and if I have to get her out to the hospital how am I going to get her (if it’s) flooded in (...) There are a lot of elderly people in this area and there are a lot of older people who need that access in this neighborhood.” “I would suspect that the design engineering permit is going to be probably a 12-month period So once that’s solidified and we have all that documentation we will be going back to the state for the actual construction,” Wallace said “I would say the construction will probably be a 12 or 18-month project It could be less because we do have some environmental impacts out there that we have to get over as far as wetlands and any other environmental issues that we might find when we’re out there for construction.” Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved Stephanie joined News 6 as a reporter in October 2024 TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us / Follow on Social Media Careers at WKMG Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications EEO Report Disability Assistance Copyright © 2025 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group One of the killers facing a possible death sentence in the Deltona mass slaying known as the Xbox murders sat in the courtroom Wednesday as prosecutors read back his testimony from nearly two decades ago Jerone Hunter, 38, and Troy Victorino, 48, were sentenced to death in 2006 for the 2004 mass murder at a home on Telford Lane in Deltona where six people were beaten to death with baseball bats While their convictions stood, their death sentences were later struck down Two others who participated in the killings are trying to convince a new jury to again recommend that Victorino and Hunter receive the death penalty Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols is presiding over the resentencing before a 14-member jury including two alternates at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand At least eight of the 12 jurors who will deliberate must recommend death for the judge to have that option the judge must sentence the person to life without parole Victorino and Hunter sat at the defense table with their attorneys: Garry Wood and Antonio Tomas for Hunter and Beth Sammons and Timothy Pribisco for Victorino who along with Assistant State Attorney Heatha Trigones read a transcript of Hunter’s responses to questions from the trial nearly two decades ago an investigator with the State Attorney’s Office sat on the witness stand and read Hunter’s replies Hunter said he met Salas at Pine Ridge High School in Deltona He met Cannon a month before the murders and he met Victorino through a person he met while working at a Kentucky Fried Chicken Hunter said during his trial testimony that he was kicked out of his parent’s house after missing curfew and wound up staying with Victorino But then they were evicted from that house Hunter said a man named Joshua Spencer said his grandmother had given them permission to move to a house on Providence Boulevard; they moved there about two weeks before the murders But the group was later kicked out of the house and their property was removed Hunter said they were mad when they returned to the house and found their things had been taken They ended up at a house on Fort Smith Boulevard in Deltona where an angry Victorino talked about getting his stuff back Hunter said he tried to talk Victorino out of going to the house on Telford But the investigator read from the transcript in which Hunter said that Victorino stated he would get anybody who disrespected him or betrayed him Hunter testified that on the night of the murders they drove to Telford Lane and parked away from the house He testified that Victorino kicked in the front door Hunter said he was the first one into the house and he was followed by either Salas or Cannon Hunter said in the transcript that there was a guy sitting on the floor and another in a recliner Hunter said he used the bat to hit the guy in the recliner on his forearm Hunter testified at the trial that Victorino stood behind Gleason and hit him on top of the head with a bat Hunter said Salas hit the person who was sitting on the floor Hunter said Victorino told him to go help others causing him to drop a stick he was holding Hunter denied hitting anyone on the head with a bat during the cross examination portion of the transcript Hunter said he hit Gleason because he thought he was lying about not knowing where their belongings were Hunter and Victorino all testified at the trial in 2006 and Salas and Hunter acknowledged hitting people and instead blamed accused ringleader Victorino for the slayings according to a News-Journal story from 2006 Victorino claimed he wasn't even present during the massacre at Telford Lane Prosecutors also read Salas' trial testimony earlier in the resentencing hearing in which Salas said Hunter found Nathan hiding in a closet "Jerone Hunter said she tried to pull the cover over her face saying 'Please don't kill me,' but he smiles and says (expletive),' and then stabs her in the chest," Salas told the jury during the trial he said he hit her on the head with a bat." Hunter denied finding Nathan hiding in a closet pulling her out and stabbing and hitting her in the head Xbox murders victims' families talk of the loss of loved onesThe prosecutors finished their presentation by calling family members of the victims to speak about the loss of their loved ones which didn't exist during the first trial in 2006 They talked about goals that would never be achieved Grief-stricken family members shared the futures and dreams of young relatives cut violently short by the killers as a bailiff passed out tissues to four of the jurors They spoke about the last time they talked to their loved ones not knowing they would never hear their voice again The sentencing hearing is expected to run into next week DELTONA  — Mark and Jean Omran arrived at 3 a.m. to claim the first spot in line for Thursday’s highly anticipated grand opening of a new Aldi discount supermarket at Howland and Catalina boulevards but the new store wasn’t the only special occasion “It’s his birthday on Sunday and he’s turning 71,” said Jean “so I wanted him to be the first in line.” also were excited about the presence of an Aldi “It’s the prices,” Jean said of the store’s appeal New Deltona Aldi part of a rollout of 14 new stores in FloridaThe new Deltona Aldi, in a renovated space formerly occupied by a Winn-Dixie, is part of the company’s rollout of 14 new stores throughout Florida more than 300 customers lined the sidewalks and parking lot around three sides of the new store more than 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled 9 a.m The first 100 customers through the door were rewarded with special perks that included a "Golden Ticket" that could be worth up to $100 in merchandise a free eco-friendly bag filled with Aldi products The store’s arrival was heralded by executives of the DeLand & Greater West Volusia Chamber and several Deltona officials Vice Mayor Davison Hariot and Commissioner Dori Howington for picking Deltona,” Avila said during the opening ceremony whose district includes the store’s location said that the enthusiastic turnout for the store’s official opening day bode well for its success “You can see what it means to Deltona when you look outside and see more than 300 people lined up around the building,” he said “I appreciate Aldi for investing in our community More: Aldi vs. Winn-Dixie: What's the difference in prices, shopping experience praised Aldi for hiring 17 employees who had worked at the former Winn-Dixie shuttered to make room for the transition which is “perfect in staffing right now,” Hinkle said 'Aldi Finds' are big opening-day attractionOn opening day many shoppers gravitated to the aisle with “Aldi Finds,” with its rotating limited-time merchandise that ranges from food to home goods and seasonal items the “Aldi Finds” aisle was the highlight of her maiden trip to the store she claimed several Disney-branded items that included earrings Mouse ears and a pair of Minnie Mouse ladies character sneakers “That’s a great price for a pair of shoes,” said Kroll The new Deltona store is among three new Aldis headed to Volusia County including a brand-new one to anchor the upcoming The Shoppes at Summer Tree retail development at the intersection of Williamson Boulevard and Summer Tree Road in Port Orange Aldi is also planning a second location to replace a Winn-Dixie store at 353 W The city's existing Aldi store will remain at 1260 W The chain also has two Flagler County locations in Palm Coast Aldi acquired Southeastern Grocers Inc (SEG) the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets $9 billion plan to add 800 stores nationwide through new buildings and store conversions even longtime Aldi fans were impressed with the opening-day crowd “We’ve been Aldi customers for quite a few years and I’ve never seen a crowd like this,” said Jimmy Page a Deltona resident who estimates he saves roughly $200 a month on groceries at Aldi compared with other supermarket chains he now doesn’t need to travel as far for an Aldi “This is the biggest one I’ve seen and it’s only 6 or 7 minutes from our house.” the deadliest mass murder in Volusia County’s history A jury was seated last week in the resentencing of Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter who were convicted in the murders of six people in a Deltona home in a case that drew national attention [Video below covers opening statements in Xbox resentencing] Prosecutors opened their case Monday against Hunter and Victorino with the argument that the death penalty should be their penalty my words will not adequately describe what you’ll see and hear,” prosecutor Andy Urbanek said in his opening statement prosecutors illustrated the events of that fatal day in 2004 with testimony from the other men involved Out of the four men convicted of the murders Victorino and Hunter were the only two sentenced to death As the state plans to rest its case Wednesday the defense awaiting their turn to argue against a death sentence Victorino and Hunter were convicted of breaking into a Deltona home and beating six people to death with baseball bats and stabbing them in 2004 It’s been called the “Xbox murders” because it involved a dispute about some of Victorino’s belongings Prosecutors said Victorino and Hunter were living in one of the victim’s grandmother’s houses before getting kicked out “They believed that Erin had their personal belongings and they intended on getting them back no matter what the cost of doing so The cost ended up being six human lives,” Urbanek argued Prosecutors brought several witnesses to the stand testified that there were a few other confrontations between Victorino and Hunter and those living in the home before the brutal slayings Graham was there when Victorino started planning the attack “He wanted us to move through the household at which point in time Mr Hunter asked about wearing masks and he stated we weren’t going to need any masks because we were going to leave no witnesses and leave no evidence,” Graham said Despite being asked by Victorino and Hunter to join them and two other men he said he decided to ditch them and later heard what happened “That’s when it struck me that they did it,” he said Four men were ultimately charged with the murders but Victorino and Hunter were the only two sentenced to death Both of their defense teams decided to hold off their opening statements until the state is done with their case Jury selection had started in April 2023 in the resentencing of Victorino and Hunter when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new death-penalty law, which eliminated a requirement for unanimous jury recommendations before defendants could be sentenced to death death sentences can be imposed after 8-4 jury recommendations [Watch video below for previous coverage of the case] (This story has been updated with new information As the state again seeks the death penalty for two men convicted in the Deltona mass killing known as the Xbox murders a prosecutor told jurors that no matter how much detail shared or the words he used he would not be able to describe the horrific murders of six people nearly 21 years ago Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak told the jurors that the sound of metal bats striking human flesh and breaking bones repeatedly filled the house on Telford Lane Troy Victorino, 48 sat at a table with their defense team across the courtroom Victorino and Hunter were already convicted and sentenced to death in 2006 for the murders But both death sentences were later struck down Two other men also participated in the murders: Michael Salas and Robert Cannon Salas was sentenced to mandatory life in prison Cannon pleaded guilty to avoid a possible death sentence and was sentenced to mandatory life in prison The resentencing for Victorino and Hunter will decide whether the men will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or face the death penalty It is the state's second attempt to resentence the men to death The first was two years ago and ended in a mistrial Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols is presiding over the latest resentencing effort at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand before a 14-member jury which includes two alternates Urbanak told jurors all six young people died of blunt force trauma to the head Vega suffered five to six blows to his head Gonzalez was hit at least 10 times in the head and suffered multiple skull fractures He was stabbed multiple times before and after dying Belanger and Roman were in a relationship and their bodies were found in a bedroom Roman had skull fractures and stab wounds to his neck and head Gleason had seven to eight blows to the chest He too had been stabbed before and after death Nathan had six or seven blows to the back of her head Urbanak said the six lost their lives because of some “personal property.” Victorino had been living in a house on Providence Boulevard that belonged to Belanger’s grandmother who had not given him permission to stay there Deputies were called and Victorino was told he could not return to the house even though some of his property remained there who at the time was on probation for beating a man with a cane said he would go to any means to get his property back Back at a house with Hunter and two others Victorino started talking about a movie called "Wonderland" where a group of men killed another group with pipes He said if he had a group he would do that at the house on Telford Lane Hunter suggested wearing masks but Victorino said that would not be necessary because they were going to kill everyone in the house Urbanak said they later went back to the house on Telford Lane armed with metal bats Victorino kicked in the front door while the men armed with the metal bats burst in who is prosecuting the case along with Assistant State Attorney Heatha Trigones played a crime scene video for the jury in which the first sign at the modest house is the shattered frame to the front door The scene becomes something like a horror movie as the camera moves through the house The walls are splattered with blood and bodies lie on the floor who along with Timothy Pribisco is representing Victorino opting to defer them to later in the trial Volusia Sheriff's deputies testifies in Xbox murders resentencingVolusia Sheriff’s Office Deputy John McDonald was a road patrol deputy in Deltona at the time of the Xbox murders Assistant State Attorney Heatha Trigones questioned McDonald he responded to a home on Providence Boulevard That is the home were Victorino had been squatting in But it was owned by Belanger’s grandmother who said no one was supposed to be living there Victorino and Hunter were not there when McDonald arrived The man was arrested on an outstanding warrant and the juvenile was turned over to her parents he responded to a call from Victorino who wanted to report that some of his property had been taken from the house on Providence including an Xbox gaming console and a basketball jersey McDonald said he knew that Victorino was not supposed to be living in the house on Providence and told him he would not take a report McDonald testified that Victorino responded McDonald said he tried to tell Victorino to contact the owners and that maybe he could still retrieve the items if they were still there McDonald also said the owner had no legal responsibility to safeguard the property He said his explanation did not calm Victorino who ended the conversation and walked away asked McDonald about the owner’s grandson giving Victorino permission to stay in the house McDonald said there was some question about that which is why the grandmother decided not to press charges McDonald said he never had any interaction with Hunter McDonald said there were no signs of forced entry into the Providence Boulevard home Pribisco asked McDonald whether he spoke to Belanger about how she could return the property McDonald said he had told her that under the law the homeowner can dispose of property from a squatter or trespasser (This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy Jerone Hunter and Troy Victorino are not on death row They are currently being resentenced and both could be sentenced to death) DELAND - Defense attorneys presented testimony from sympathetic witnesses on Thursday in an attempt to keep Jerone Hunter from being sentenced to death for massacring six young people with bats and knives in a home in 2004 in whose Deltona home Jerome lived for a month are back in court 19 years after they were first sentenced to death The condemned men are fighting for life in prison after a post-2006 Florida law said a jury must make a unanimous decision in recommending the death penalty Judge overturns decisionThe jury that sentenced the Deltona men in 2006 was not unanimous in its decision but a majority voted to send the killers to death row and a judge would later overturn the men's death sentence used metal baseball bats to beat the six people to death on Aug Salas and Cannon got life sentences without the possibility of parole On Thursday's resentencing hearing in DeLand who was her son's friend and part of the Deltona High School football team came to live with her during his high school days because he didn't get along with his parents "I never had a problem with Jerone," Neidu said Neidu also told the jury that Jeorne loved poetry and wrote poems about a high school girl he had a crush on Under cross-examination by Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak Neidu said Hunter followed the rules of her house Prosecutors said Hunter left his mother's and stepdad's home because he didn't like the house rules who coached Hunter in his freshman year in high school called him "a good kid who did everything we asked of him." Both Neidu and Denoyer said they were shocked when they heard of the crimes Hunter was accused of The resentencing hearing continues on Friday with testimony from an aunt of Jerone's and Victorino's lawyers are expected to get their turn to be heard DELTONA, Fla. – Prosecutors are expected to rest their case Wednesday in the resentencing trial for two men convicted in the so-called Xbox murders Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter were convicted in the murders of six people in a Deltona home in a case that drew national attention Prosecutors on Tuesday illustrated the events of that day in 2004 through testimony from the other men involved [Watch coverage from day 3 of the resentencing trial below] the defense will then argue against a death sentence [Watch coverage from day 2 of the resentencing trial below] Prosecutors opened their case this week against Hunter and Victorino with the argument that death should be their penalty Prosecutors brought several witnesses to the stand. [RELATED: Opening statements in resentencing of Florida Xbox murders] The defense teams of Victorino and Hunter decided to hold off their opening statements until the state is done with their case DELTONA, Fla. – The defense for two men convicted in the so-called Xbox murders presented its case Thursday in the resentencing trial Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter were convicted of breaking into a Deltona home and beating six people to death with baseball bats and stabbing them in a Deltona home in 2004 in a case that drew national attention using graphic testimony to show why the men should die for killing the six people and a dog [Watch coverage as Hunter’s defense presents case resentencing trial] They argued he was intimidated by Troy Victorino who was the alleged mastermind “At every turn Troy Victorino planned this told everybody what to do,” said Hunter’s attorney Garry Wood during his opening statement His team said Hunter met Victorino when he was 17 years old and Victorino was 10 years older than him and took him in and two other men beat and stabbed six people and a dog to death Victorino had been squatting in one of the victim’s houses but left items behind that he was upset he had not gotten back read his bible and went to sleep,” said a defense witness Victorino and Hunter were the only two originally sentenced to death Hunter’s team brought in witnesses to argue his mental state at the time and that his upbringing was rough morally with mercy life without possibility of parole where he will die in prison,” said Wood Victorino’s team is expected to start their argument Friday afternoon [Watch coverage as state rests case in resentencing trial] Jim Saunders VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A jury has been seated in the resentencing of two men found guilty and sentenced to death in the brutal murders of six people and a dog in a Deltona home in 2004 The case became known as the “Xbox murders” because it involved a dispute about some of Victorino’s belongings Hunter and two other men were accused of breaking into the house and bludgeoning the victims with baseball bats Victorino and Hunter each received four death sentences Florida law only required majority jury recommendations — 7-5 votes — before judges could sentence defendants to death a jury of 12 and two alternates was seated in the case Victorino and Hunter will face a new judge and jury to find out if they’ll be facing the death penalty again Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021 She is the author of the Central Florida Happenings newsletter that goes out every Thursday Jim has been executive editor of the News Service since 2013 and has covered state government and politics in Florida since 1998 Two surveyors from Volusia County were killed Friday in a hit-and-run crash when they were struck by a semi-truck as they walked along the shoulder of Interstate 95 in Brevard County A 22-year-old Enterprise man and a 41-year-old Deltona man died in the crash at mile marker 172 southbound on Interstate 95 was arrested and charged with two counts of hit and run involving death The men were walking along the right grassy shoulder when they were hit by the southbound 2021 Freightliner Cascadia driven by Sheikh Ali The semi struck a Dodge pickup parked on the shoulder before killing the two men A passenger in the pickup was not injured and remained at the scene Troopers caught up with the semi southbound on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County at mile marker 45 Fans of discount supermarket Aldi were delighted recently with news that the chain, first opened in Germany in 1913, will soon bring 14 new locations to Florida But how many are opening in Volusia County Three new Aldi stores are in the works locally (with one opening very soon) including a brand-new store and two former Winn-Dixie stores They will add to the eight existing Aldi stores in Volusia About 220 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores will be converted to the smaller So where is Aldi coming to next in Volusia County Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for 9 a.m. the first 100 customers on opening day will receive several special perks including a "Golden Ticket" that could be worth up to $100 A brand-new Aldi will anchor the upcoming The Shoppes at Summer Tree retail development at the intersection of Williamson Boulevard and Summer Tree Road in Port Orange The 19,432-square-foot shop will be larger than the two Aldi locations currently closest to Port Orange: the store roughly 8 miles to the northeast at 1106 Beville Road in Daytona Beach that measures 18,539 square feet in size and the store 9 miles to the southeast at 2335 State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach that's 17,825 square feet Second Aldi coming to Ormond BeachAldi is also planning a second location on Ormond Beach's Granada Boulevard The new location would also replace a Winn-Dixie store at 353 W while the city's existing Aldi store is located at 1260 W told The News-Journal last year that the store's restoration would cost approximately $1.7 million and that there’s no “definitive timeline” to complete the process Aldi is an international chain of no-frills grocery stores with no coupons and few There is a double-your-money-back "Twice is Nice" guarantee on its store-brand products and the chain regularly offers "FINDS," limited-time offers that change weekly or seasonally and other discounted deals The company does not offer a membership program The Aldi chain was founded by Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946 (Aldi is an abbreviated form of "Albrecht Diskont") after the brothers argued over whether the stores should sell cigarettes they split the company into Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd which both operate stores internationally in different regions including the new Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores Aldi operates two stores in Daytona Beach and DeLand News-Journal reporter Clayton Park contributed to this report (This story has been updated with additional photos and new information.) DELAND — The version of Troy Victorino who was convicted in the Deltona mass killing of six people known as the Xbox murders died two decades ago The version of Victorino who sat in court Friday should be spared the death penalty defense attorney Tim Pribisco told a jury as the defense began its case "All the witnesses that we will present to you will demonstrate that the person that the personality of the man whose brutality brings us here Victorino, 48, and Jerone Hunter, 38, were sentenced to death in 2006 for the 2004 mass murder at a home on Telford Lane in Deltona where the victims beaten to death with baseball bats who was angered because some of his property had been taken from another house where he had been squatting The four armed themselves with metal bats and on Aug went up to the house on Telford Lane where the six young people were living Victorino and his group beat them with the metal bats No excuses for Xbox murdersPribisco said he was not making any excuses for Victorino’s actions in the murders “I want to make one thing very clear to the jury that throughout our presentation the evidence that you will receive will in no way suggest any justification the evidence in this case will not show any common sense explanation for why this occurred because we cannot make sense of the census.” Pribisco said that the defense believes a combination of Victorino’s exposure to physical and sexual abuse as a young child “exacerbated” his childhood mental illness “which unfortunately made his choice to engage in substance abuse propensity for violence almost inevitable.” Victorino made suicidal threats at the age of 8 and was diagnosed with significant mental health issues He said that drugs prescribed to treat him instead damaged his developing brain Victorino’s father beat him with a belt buckle and drawing the attention of an elementary school teacher who contacted the New York equivalent of the state’s of DCF He said Victorino has always been large and that was a burden His mental health issues resulted in a lack of self-esteem and an inability to socialize did not follow up on the treatment and therapy Victorino needed Victorino was probably damaged beyond repair at the age of 11 He has spent 32 of his 48 years in a Florida prison and got his GED in prison Pribisco said that a sentence of life in prison will protect the community the same as the death penalty Victorino has had a positive impact on other inmates and a "huge part of that" is due to his "acceptance of responsibility and extreme remorse for his senseless actions." Defense attorney Beth Sammons called Al Barker to the stand Barker has been involved in prison ministry since 2005 and met Victorino in 2007 He said Victorino was raised as a Jehovah's Witness He said he wondered what he had gotten himself into because of Victorino's size; he stands 6 feet But he said he had never felt uncomfortable or intimidated during all his visits with Victorino And he said he felt comfortable closing his eyes and praying with him But he said they did not talk about the offenses or mental health issues saying they are not supposed to discuss those subjects Barker said Victorino told him that since he was the oldest sibling he took the brunt of the discipline and was beaten by his father He said over the years he has had issues like everyone and he would have "a little bit of anger of what's going on in the world." Sammons asked if by anger he didn't mean "violent outburst anger" but rather "frustration" and Barker agreed He said he had seen Victorino show "love" and "compassion." Barker also showed the jury some paintings and drawings of flowers and nature that Victorino had done himself and given to Barker or his late wife The defense also called two prison inmates One testified via Zoom and the other via phone The one that testified by phone was Renaldo McGirth who was initially sentenced to death for murdering a woman in the Villages but after a resentencing hearing last year he was sentenced to life in prison without parole He said Victorino and him socialized in prison and and Victorino got him interested in reading books He said he never saw Victorino being violent with another inmate and "went out of his way to put people at ease." The jurors were only allowed to hear that Pagan had nine prior felony convictions they were not told that Pagan was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death but that his death sentences were later reduced to life in prison Pagan murdered a father and his 6-year-old child Pagan also shot the man’s wife and the couple’s 18-month-old child Pagan said he met Victorino when they were housed in the same unit “I considered him to be one of my closest friends,” Pagan said He said they were both raised in New York and they would say “hi” to each other in the unit “That just blossomed into an organic friendship,” Pagan said He said he had never seen Victorino act other than “cordial” to anyone Jury selection is set to begin Monday as prosecutors once again try to get death sentences against two of the four men convicted in a mass killing in Deltona known as the Xbox murders.  Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter were already convicted and sentenced to death in 2006 for the 2004 murders But those death sentences were struck down The proceedings starting Monday will decide whether the men will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty who at the time was presiding over the case overturned both death sentences following a 2016 Florida Supreme Court ruling requiring juries to be unanimous when recommending the death penalty Rowe presided over a resentencing of the men two years ago but that ended in a mistrial after delays due to legal fights over the death penalty between prosecutors and defense attorneys The resentencing in 2023 was stopped as the state and defense fought over a change in Florida's death penalty law whch lowered the requirement for a death recommendation from a unanimous vote to a minimum of eight jurors The new statute was signed into law on April 20 2023 the same day that the jury for the resentencing was sworn in Since then Rowe has been moved to a civil docket Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols will now preside over the resentencing at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand The Deltona mass murderVictorino and Hunter, along with Michael Salas and Robert Cannon, broke into a home on Telford Lane in Deltona on Aug Salas and Cannon were sentenced to mandatory life in prison Jurors recommended death for Victorino by a vote of 10-2 for Belanger's murder; 10-2 for Ayo-Roman's; 9-3 for Gonzalez's; and 7-5 for Gleason's They recommended life for the murders of Nathan and Vega  Jurors recommended Hunter get a death sentence for Gleason's murder by a vote of 10-2; for Gonzalez's murder by a vote of 9-3; for Nathan's by a vote of 10-2; and for Vega's by 9-3 Jurors recommended life sentences for Belanger's and Ayo-Roman's murders DELAND — Brandon Dominic Graham testified this week during the resentencing of two men convicted in the Deltona mass killing known as the Xbox murders The former Army veteran is now a criminal investigator with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia Graham was “basically homeless” — a 17-year-old “couch-surfing” through life in Deltona Graham was "best friends" with two of the four men who beat to death six people in the house on Telford Lane in the Deltona Xbox murders whom authorities have said was the ringleader On Monday, April 28, Graham, 38, took the stand during the resentencing hearing for Victorino and Jerone Hunter. Victorino and Hunter were already sentenced to death in 2006 Prosecutors are trying to convince a jury this week to recommend the men be sentenced to death again are serving mandatory sentences of life in prison Salas and Cannon used metal baseball bats to beat the six people to death Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols is presiding over the resentencing hearing at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand Witness was 'best friends' with 2 Xbox killers before murdersGraham testified that in 2004 he was “best friends” with Salas and Cannon "We all called each other brothers," Graham said said he departed Volusia County in 2012 when he left for the Army He said he was now a criminal investigator with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in Augusta where he is a sworn law enforcement officer Graham said he had known Salas and Cannon for several years but he testified he had not met Victorino or Hunter until a week before the murders He said he met them in Cannon’s white Ford Expedition SUV about Aug as they drove to the Telford Lane home days before the murder He testified that Victorino said a couple of the residents at Telford Lane had stolen his property from another house and he was “adamant” about getting it back Victorino told Cannon to park behind some bushes to conceal him from the house Victorino remained in the SUV while the others went to the house Graham said he was armed with a baseball bat Some of the bats were wrapped with black electrical tape Graham said they remained outside of the house trying to antagonize the residents to come outside was trying to get someone to come out and fight him He said he didn’t recognize anybody in the house Graham said they were there for about 15 to 20 minutes The three women who were with them went inside and returned with Victorino's CD case The women then slashed some tires on the cars parked at Telford Graham testified that he was at a house on Fort Smith Boulevard with Victorino when Victorino brought up a movie titled "Wonderland," in which one group uses pipes to beat another group to death Graham testified that Victorino said he wanted to do that at Telford Lane Graham said that Salas said "He was down," meaning he would participate Victorino told Hunter that he knew he was in agreement because some of his things were taken also Hunter "shook" his head to awknowledge he was "down," Graham said “I turned my back when he asked and then he asked me again and I kind of hesitated and then I said 'yes,' Graham said Victorino said he thought Graham was not "down" because he turned his head Victorino then talked to them about how to move through the house during the attack Graham said Victorino stated: “We weren't going to need any masks Victorino said they would need a change of clothes because they were going to get bloody He said Victorino really wanted to harm the females in the house and Flaco when Victorino and Hunter were not present Cannon and Salas asked him if he really wanted to participate He said he told them "I really don't know." Graham said Victorino and the group then dropped him off at a home in Deltona He said Victorino told him he would return between 7 and 9:30 p.m Graham said he ended up going to another friend's house in DeLand Graham said he had a cellphone and he missed about 10 calls from Cannon later that day He asked his friend in Deltona to tell them that he was going to a hospital in DeLand to visit his sick brother but that was not true Graham said he never met back up with them that night and stayed with his friend The next morning his friend's mother called and told them about the people murdered in Deltona “After getting over the initial shock it struck me that they did it,” Graham testified He said he and his friend drove to Telford Lane and they found the street blocked by deputies and news crews He said he did not call law enforcement because he was scared Graham said that day he went to Salas’ grandmother's house to get some of his belongings Cannon's SUV was full of items that previously were not there He said Victorino was playing on a Game Boy Graham said shortly after the four were arrested he went to police He said he also spoke to his friend's mom who said explained it "was definitely the right thing to do." Wood asked Graham if he had any plans to use the bat when he accompanied the men to Telford Lane Wood asked him whether he understood that by saying "yes" to Victorino he was saying he was going to kill somebody Graham said sometimes you have to tell people the answer they want to hear Wood asked him then whether he agreed to break into the house but not kill anyone "I originally said yes in fear of my life," Graham said before adding Wood asked him if he understood they were going to go into the Telford Lane house with weapons "I knew that I wasn't going to do it from the moment they brought it up," Graham said incident at the Telford Lane house when Victorino remained in the SUV Sammons asked if Victorino got out of the vehicle or threatened anyone She asked him whether he remembered whether Victorino was "towering over anybody and yelling that they must participate." And he also said in response to questions from Sammons that Victorino did not threaten any of them and did not have a weapon in his hand at the time She asked if he thought they were actually going to do this Graham said he didn't really know but also said "By the demeanor and by the air escaping from the room I knew it was going to happen." Prosecutors opened their case against Hunter and Victorino Monday with the argument that the death penalty should be sticking for the case my words will not adequately describe what you’ll see and hear,” said prosecutor Andy Urbanek in his opening statement Victorino and Hunter are convicted of breaking into a Deltona home and beating six people to death with baseball bats and stabbing them back in 2004 Prosecutors brought several witnesses to the stand today," argued Urbanek testifying today too that there were a few other confrontations about the belongings between those living in the home Victorino and Hunter before the one that ended deadly He was there when Victorino started planning their fatal attack Hunter asked about wearing masks and He stated we weren’t going to need any masks because we were going to leave no witnesses and leave no evidence,” said Graham He said he decided to ditch them and heard later what happened but Victorino and Hunter were the only two sentenced to death originally Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — It was a long meeting for the Deltona City Commission on Monday night, as commissioners held a quasi-judicial public hearing regarding Mayor Santiago Avila Jr and whether he violated city policies by attending the inauguration of President Donald Trump on the city’s dime The commission needed a super-majority of five votes to prove that Avila knowingly violated policy The discussion was first brought up during the city commission’s Feb 3 meeting when commissioner Dori Howington first voiced concerns about the mayor’s trip stating that it cost the city thousands of dollars for expenses like hotel accommodations and gas for a city vehicle Avila admits to driving a city vehicle to Washington D.C with his wife but has continued to deny claims that he knowingly violated city policy There was a lot of back and forth during Monday night’s quasi-judicial public hearing Each commissioner provided evidence and facts on the subject which was followed by public statements and the vote and Nick Lulli all shared evidence like news clips and clips from past meetings to prove that the mayor either knew the policy or should have known the policy “I am very disappointed because they’re right I think it was political and I think those that didn’t vote (in favor) already had their minds made up when they walked through the door without even seeing the evidence presented,” Howington said The mayor continually acknowledged that he did not know the policy prior to his trip and his lawyer stated that he believes that none of the evidence shown could prove that he was aware of the policy wanted to kind of say they were in my head and ‘Hey this is the way you think or didn’t think,’ but I didn’t know,” said Avila “I think I’ve owned up to that several times.” Howington asked for a motion of no confidence in the mayor the commissioners and the mayor agreed to move forward as they plan to review and revise multiple policies The city commission’s next meeting is on Monday — Hurricane season has come to an end in the Sunshine State, but many Floridians are still managing post-storm recovery efforts.  some property owners still face lingering flooding concerns.  Damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Milton this past October really took a toll on Mel Himes' property in Deltona and he is worried about what the future could bring.   his barn had 24 to 30 inches of water inside.  he built makeshift floodgates and laid down sandbags The two hurricanes marked the first times he has seen such damage Much of his property has changed into a waterfront property off DuPont Lake “The problem is all of this water coming down from DeLand Orange City and into the Deltona chain of lakes and the Lake Theresa Water Basin It’s being blocked by these three floodgates that are controlled by the St Johns Water Management District,” Himes said.  Johns River Water Management District to find a solution.  “When the floodwaters can’t go through the canal out to Lake Bethel conditions are slowly returning to normal for Kenneth Adcook.   “I had 5 to 6 inches of water in the living room after (hurricanes) Nicole and Ian two years ago and that water stayed in the living room for five months,” Adcook said.  He fears what could happen when another storm comes through.  “What we need is help on a higher level,” Adcook said That’s why residents are doing what they can to find a solution.  Johns River Water Management District said the city of Deltona is responsible for requesting the opening of the Theresa Basin Emergency Overflow and managing its operation.  is to make sure the structure is operating in compliance.  Officials in Deltona said that emergency field operations expired Dec They said they are preparing to submit a request to the water management district to reopen the gates — A quasi-judicial hearing to discuss whether the Deltona City mayor violated travel policy will take place Monday evening the city commission voted to hold a quasi-judicial public hearing to determine whether Mayor Santiago Avila Jr had knowledge of the city commission travel policy before his travel to Washington The policy states that elected officials need the approval of the city commission before attending out-of-state conferences Residents and commissioners claimed the mayor violated the city’s travel policy during his trip to Washington with his wife during President Donald Trump’s inauguration.  The issue was first raised by commissioner Dori Howington during a recent meeting where she said the mayor’s trip cost the city several thousand dollars for expenses that included hotel accommodations and gas for a city vehicle Avila released a statement defending his actions saying the accusations are false and stating that his primary reason for being in D.C Spectrum News 13 obtained a copy of the City of Deltona Commission Policy and Procedure It states that elected officials will be limited to three in-state conferences or seminars that have a benefit to the commission and the community per fiscal year It also says that elected officials will seek approval for attendance at out-of-state conferences or seminars by majority vote of the city commission “We for a very long time have had distrust in our city between the residents and our elected officials and the other leaders who govern our city I think it’s really important to focus on ensuring that trust stays as intact as possible,” Deltona City Commissioner for District 6 Nick Lulli said 3 meeting where this issue was discussed because he was on a family vacation out of the country he said he had a chance to look at the facts and now commissioners will have an opportunity to discuss it during the hearing on Monday night and we’ll get the opportunity to hear testimony about that and decide whether or not the mayor broke policy and then what should be the repercussions for that,” Lulli said to have violated any provision of the Deltona City Charter such commissioner shall be subject to sanctions that could range from docking pay to removal from office followed by a business meeting at 6:30 p.m The hearing will take place at the commission chambers (This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.) A man shot and killed his ex-wife in her Deltona home, fled the scene and later crashed his vehicle off Hammock Dunes toll bridge a county away while evading law enforcement Deputies responded to a report of a shooting at 2:23 a.m Monday morning at the 3200 block of Parma Drive The murder-suicide occurred a week after Samuel was arrested on a battery charge against his ex-wife and spent a night at Volusia County Branch Jail Technology detected and located the fleeing white SUV traveling at more than 100 mph on I-95 north out of Volusia Various law enforcement agencies and resources including a Volusia County sheriff's helicopter the suspect crashed into the toll gate at the Hammock Dunes bridge and rolled over around 3:21 a.m  Drones provided continuous visuals on the car as Flagler SWAT approached the suspect "The suspect was transported to AdventHealth Palm Coast Hospital for treatment of injuries including an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," Volusia County Sheriff's Office stated "He was later pronounced deceased at the hospital." Vaia was arrested on battery charges against his ex-wife that her ex-husband walked into her bedroom took her phone and accused her of cheating on him She told deputies that Samuel pushed her into a bathroom and shut the door as he continued accusing her She tried to yell at her phone to call 911 He left after she called for another daughter in the house "The victim indicated she and her ex were attempting to reconcile their relationship and he still had a key to her house due to their time-sharing agreement involving their child," the Volusia Sheriff's Office said on Facebook Vaia was arrested on a charge of battery (domestic violence) and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail early Sunday Following the dispute, the court issued an order for Vaia to turn in all of his firearms, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at a press conference Monday morning Flagler sheriffs Mike Chitwood and Rick Staly send condolencesSheriff Chitwood expressed his condolences for Ashley Vaia's family and thanked Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol for their involvement locating the suspect and all her family and friends who have to deal with losing her to such a senseless act of violence,” Sheriff Chitwood said in a news release we see that domestic violence situations can escalate quickly and dangerously Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly shared similar sentiments "I am thankful for the swift actions of our deputies in helping to prevent any further loss of life This is a deeply tragic incident for all involved and we send our condolences to the victim’s family during this extremely difficult time," Staly said in the Volusia Sheriff news release Molly Reed VOLUSIA COUNTY – A woman was shot and killed in Deltona by her ex-husband who led law enforcement on a chase early Monday into Flagler County before fatally shooting himself Volusia deputies responded around 2:23 a.m to a home in the 3200 block of Parma Drive The victim — 38-year-old Ashley Vaia — was found dead in the home by her child shortly before deputies arrived [RELATED: How to find help for domestic violence survivors in Volusia County and throughout Central Florida] Deputies identified the suspect as the woman’s ex-husband who fled the area in a white SUV and sped north on Interstate 95 out of Volusia County “With multiple law enforcement agencies responding to the fleeing vehicle the suspect crashed and rolled over around 3:21 a.m in the area of Palm Harbor Parkway and Hammock Dunes Parkway in Palm Coast‚" the sheriff’s office said Law enforcement activity near Hammock Dunes Parkway and Palm Harbor Parkway shut down the toll bridge around 4:27 a.m. was taken out of the vehicle around 5:15 a.m They decide to try to break into the wind shield of the car where they then observe the suspect wound has a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Deputies said Samuel Vaia had been arrested on March 23 on a battery charge after the victim told law enforcement he had grabbed her and pushed her into a bathroom “A domestic violence injunction is just this a protection order is just this: a piece of paper It’s never going to keep any woman safe when someone is hell bent to kill you and clearly this guy was hell bent on killing her,” Chitwood said If you need help getting out of an abusive situation or getting someone you care about out of an abusive situation you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 This is a developing story and will be updated with more information as we receive it At 2:23 this morning, VSO deputies responded to a fatal shooting on the 3200 block of Parma Drive in Deltona. The suspect, who was known to the victim, was identified and located within an hour of the shooting. pic.twitter.com/9nRZhZmgry At 2:23 this morning, VSO deputies responded to a fatal shooting on the 3200 block of Parma Drive in Deltona. The suspect, who was known to the victim, was identified and located within an hour of the shooting. pic.twitter.com/9nRZhZmgry A Deltona city commissioner is calling on Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. to repay the city for a taxpayer-funded trip to Washington, D.C. for the presidential inauguration last month while he is also facing a small-claims lawsuit by a creditor The latest suit is a new chapter in Avila's troubled financial history a bad-check misdemeanor and a near-eviction Dori Howington has requested an agenda item be added to Monday night's City Commission meeting asking for a vote requiring Avila to reimburse the city for the inaugural expenses who was elected to the commission in November cited a travel policy stating: "Elected officials will seek approval for attendance at out-of-state conferences or seminars by majority vote of the City Commission Staff will notify the members of the City Commission in writing of any and all such travel by individual members of the Commission." The policy also requires the commissioner or mayor to make "an informal report" at a commission meeting to explain the benefits of attending the event Howington: 'Disturbing' that city would cover costsHowington called it "disturbing" that the city would pay for the mayor to attend "a partisan event," asking if the travel policy is not followed "I personally hate being put in this position The mayor endorsed me in his campaign," Howington said I believe all monies should be paid back to the City of Deltona including reimbursement for the use of the city car." had tickets to the inauguration and other events "But it never even occurred to me to ask the city to pay for these events as I did not feel there was any benefit to the City of Deltona from my participation," she said Howington decided against going after estimating the cost of her attendance to be between $2,500 and $3,000 and seeing how cold weather moved the oath of office indoors Howington said she received a memo from the city manager Sunday night explaining that the purpose of Avila's trip was "relationship building." "I do know (the mayor) can sit down with Sen Rep.) Cory Mills here in Florida," she said during the most expensive time for travel in Washington The Volusia County Democratic Party also weighed in calling on Deltona residents to attend the Monday meeting and residents should demand transparency and trust from all levels of leadership," said Nick Sakhnovsky "It is crucial that city funds are used responsibly and in the best interest of all Deltona residents." Howington also commented on the lawsuit brought by a creditor against Avila "I find the optics of our mayor being sued for not being able to pay his own bills concerning especially while the city foots the bill for him and his wife to attend lavish parties in Washington 8 filing Avila made purchases or received cash advances and owes $1,452.35 "Defendant has failed to pay for said benefit and defendant has therefore been unjustly enriched," a lawsuit filed in Volusia County states Avila has not responded to messages seeking comment An exhibit shows Avila used a Surge Mastercard with credit extended by Celtic Bank while CKS Prime Investments states in the lawsuit it has since purchased the debt It wasn't clear how long the balance had gone unpaid A pretrial conference on the small-claims court matter is scheduled for April 10 which was filed last year in February and is the latest available and that he had earned $31,200 working at mychildwins.com an organization that advocates on behalf of families with individualized education plans (or IEPs) for students with special needs He also earned his mayor's salary of nearly $15,000 who lost a reelection bid last November to Nick Lulli said Avila's financial history should raise red flags in City Hall Records from Avila's trip to Washington for President Donald Trump's inauguration indicate Avila drove himself and his wife there and used a city credit card with his own name on it to pay a Hyatt Hotel bill for five days and four nights totaling nearly $1,700 He also submitted two gas receipts for a total of $63.55. While the card number is redacted, the receipts show that he used a WEX card to pay. WEX fleet cards are provided by businesses to their employees to allow them to expense business costs noting it lists Avila's name with City Hall's address making him think Avila has a city-issued credit card a privilege he believes most other mayors and commissioners have not had questions whether the commission travel policy has changed and said city officials should be focused on solving local problems and trips with questionable benefits to Deltona "aggravate" residents "Especially when you have in the past a mayor voicing his opinion that he can't afford to buy milk for his family or currently having court dates for not paying his bills," Storozuk said "Most people would like to try to go to (a presidential inauguration) at least once in their lifetime," Storozuk said "I am not against anyone going to that event I just don't believe the normal taxpaying citizen in Deltona should be paying for others to go Should have been on that own person's dime "And if the mayor has to go to court for not paying his own credit card bills what in hell is the (city) manager doing giving Avila a city credit card and letting him take a city car to D.C.?"  Avila's financial history is replete with financial difficulties found bills piling up with no ability to pay them back in 2012 they jointly filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Florida's Middle District Avila and his wife listed $14,236 in assets and $99,077 in liabilities they said they were making a little over $2,100 a month They owed nearly $18,000 on an auto loan from the previous year auto insurance and other debts to more than 50 creditors both Avilas filed documents with the court showing they had completed a debt education course Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Briskman discharged the $99,077 the Avilas owed creditors on Nov No contest to misdemeanor worthless check charge In June 2016 the State Attorney's Office filed a charge against Santiago Avila Jr. alleging he wrote a worthless check for more than $150 AA Animal Clinic of DeBary had made a complaint earlier in the year stating Avila wrote a $286.54 check for veterinary services Avila later pleaded no contest to a lesser misdemeanor issuing a worthless check for racking up more than $7,000 in unpaid rent at a home on Armadillo Drive in Deltona Progress Residential said he had agreed to pay $1,342 per month in rent Avila did not respond to the complaint by Oct according to the Volusia County Clerk of Court's office the landlord filed to dissolve the complaint stating the "defendant has paid all monies due." DELTONA, Fla. — City leaders in Deltona are voicing concerns over Senate Bill 1118 a proposed state law that could give Tallahassee legislators control over local development decisions Officials fear the bill could undermine efforts to regulate growth and protect sensitive lands including the city’s newly approved “Keep Deltona Wild” overlay district The city commission held a special meeting Saturday to discuss the bill and how it could affect zoning regulations designed to limit mass development The overlay district aims to protect undeveloped lands from major and dense development in the city's sixth district says the state’s involvement could strip local governments of their ability to manage land use “I recently heard about Senate Bill 1118 moving through the legislature “It feels like it could make ‘Keep Deltona Wild’—and other zoning overlay efforts across Central Florida—a moot point I believe these initiatives are meant to protect residents from the issues that come with rapid Residents in Lulli’s district have raised concerns about how new development projects could impact traffic “Our district sits on the eastern edge of Deltona home to much of the city’s remaining vacant and agricultural land,” Lulli said “My constituents have said these developments are causing problems—whether it’s flooding And what developers are currently required to contribute just isn’t enough to offset those impacts.” during which District 6 experienced severe flooding He believes that unregulated development could be contributing to drainage issues and worsening storm impacts The “Keep Deltona Wild” overlay district is designed to encourage sustainable growth while protecting natural resources Lulli fears the city may no longer have the authority to implement or enforce such zoning measures “This bill could take away the power of local governments to make land-use decisions,” he said “That means Deltona residents could have little say over what gets built in their own neighborhoods.” The commission meeting included time for public comments allowing residents to voice their concerns about development and the potential impact of Senate Bill 1118 zero lot line houses are not our character," said resident Lori Warnicke City leaders say they will continue to advocate for local control over zoning decisions and plan to monitor the bill as it moves through the legislature This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy switched to the Republican Party after last year's primary election Deltona Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. is facing questions and criticism for a trip with his wife to Washington for President Donald Trump's Jan He used a city car for seven days and charged nearly $1,800 in expenses according to city documents made available by a News-Journal public records request who did not respond to several text messages seeking comment for this story posted pictures of himself at events in Washington We got a couple of inaugural balls to go to And we're here representing our amazing city of Deltona city of destiny," he said on a Reels video Avila submitted a Hyatt Place hotel bill for $1,687.30 The records also include a city vehicle log showing he took the car from 9:25 p.m some of whom have expressed outrage on social media Friday and Saturday after the city made the records available Avila's Instagram page shows photos of him at Florida's Sunshine Ball the Latino Inaugural Ball and an inaugural reception hosted by the U.S including the presidents of Argentina and Paraguay but none of the requested records indicated a justification for the trip Jody Lee Storozuk, the city's former vice mayor who has tangled with Avila previously said in a text message that while he was in office commissioners were allowed one trip outside the state and three trips in the state per year for "city business." "If this was a trip that might turn into benefits for the city but I do not believe that is the case," Storozuk texted Charleen Smith, a Deltona resident who's been critical of the mayor in the past "What benefit to the city does him attending this event bring How does he justify the expense of it?" she asked Republicans among those critical of tripIt's worth noting while Smith is a Democrat the comments aren't coming from one political side of the spectrum while other right-leaning critics are as well a conservative administrator for the Volusia Issues Facebook group with nearly 7,000 members Gimbert shared a meme posted by Tom Burbank The meme shows Avila wearing a red MAGA cap and showing how several Republican organizations contributed to his mayoral campaign believe this trip was purely political and a misuse of public funds urging residents to email complaints to city commissioners a registered Republican who has regularly attended City Commission meetings for about 10 years said because the Hyatt invoice has Avila's name and the address of City Hall on it he believes the mayor has a city credit card Avila's use of a city vehicle suggests he's on the city's insurance policy that's one heck of a liability the manager is taking," Bryan said in a message "Does any of that help the city or does it only help his political career In my personal opinion I believe that the trip was nothing more than a way for him to try and be a part of the political landscape for his own agenda," Bryan said adding: "I believe the citizens need a full financial disclosure of this trip and an explanation of what the mayor actually thinks the benefits of the trip was other than political posturing." One post read: "Great event for the mayor to attend the people have clearly voted for who they wanted to represent them in the presidential race and mayoral race so for him to be able to go and bring back that energy and patriotism to Deltona should be a win!" Another posted a GIF of Trump and added: "I'm going to vote for the mayor harder next time!" said Deltona has a lot of issues — including flooding finances and overdevelopment — that should be the focus "this just further aggravates the taxpaying citizen." – The Volusia Sheriff’s Office on Saturday announced the arrest of a woman and her boyfriend after a 6-year-old girl was allegedly found wandering with a dog in Deltona face charges of unlawful desertion of a child and abandonment of an animal meeting with a woman who had called the sheriff’s office to report the girl was wandering in her front yard The girl allegedly said that she was hot and thirsty The caller and her neighbor provided the girl with food and water as well as clean underwear due to how she wasn’t wearing any at the time The girl had only a small backpack containing a blanket a Medicaid card and a toilet bowl cleaner used as a brush adding she had a black dog tied to her dress and had no money or cellphone The girl said that she had been dropped off at a park earlier that morning by her mother who allegedly told her that she and her boyfriend the girl “described her home as one that leaks when it rains and said she is often allowed to leave and walk to stores on her own,” the affidavit states In video of the investigation and the later arrests — which was shared Saturday by the sheriff’s office on social media — Floyd and Estes are seen being questioned at night by deputies while handcuffed and sat against a patrol car Estes can be heard in the video telling deputies that they’re homeless The video ends with shots showing a tent in the woods Floyd and Estes were booked Saturday and each given a $51,000 bond The girl was taken to the Volusia Family Resource Center where her grandparents were contacted to take custody of her joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021 "Water sample testing is underway," according to the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County "Blue-green algae have the potential to produce toxins Since environmental conditions can change at any time even if the presence of toxins has not yet been confirmed." The department recently issued a warning about blue-green algae in Lake Monroe in southwestern Volusia County and Lake George near Pierson Water sampling results are posted on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Algal Bloom Dashboard The health department advised people to follow these precautions: People can report algae blooms to the FDEP through an online form or by calling 855-305-3903 People can report symptoms from an exposure to a harmful algal bloom or other aquatic toxin by calling a poison specialist at the Florida Poison Information Center at 800-222-1222 If a pet is ill after consuming or having contact with water contaminated by blue-green algae contact the Florida Department of Health at 386-274-0694 – The city of Deltona has put a stop to a big new development in the Vineland Reserve community City leaders were supposed to approve the final plans for building new homes off Doyle Road but they changed their minds and instead voted against it People living nearby are worried about problems with stormwater The plan was to add 150 - 200 new townhomes and I never had that problem before,” said Randi Priest [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos] She thinks stopping the development is a big win for her neighbors so that stormwater never drained when it’s supposed to drain quickly out,” Priest explained City Commissioner Nick Lulli said the city hired an expert to look into the stormwater issues The expert found more problems at the site where the new homes were supposed to be built “We had our stormwater engineering consultant there who said that he could not guarantee that we would not have to widen this stormwater pond in order to accommodate all of the water that would be generated by this development,” Lulli said He mentioned that there are similar problems with stormwater systems in other parts of the city Lulli thinks the developer might try other ways to keep building we also are going to hear from the developer as well to see if they still have any new plans as well because they do still own this property,” Lulli added The city leaders also agreed to think about buying the land They might use it for conservation or turn it into a park News 6 reached out to the developer to find out what they plan to do next – Two students were injured this week after being struck by cars near their schools In a release deputies said that one of these crashes happened on Monday at a local middle school “A 12-year-old boy riding his bicycle was struck by a truck in the school zone at Heritage Middle School in Deltona,” the release reads deputies added that a 16-year-old near Good Shepherd Academy was struck on Tuesday while crossing the entrance on the sidewalk [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos] the two students involved are OK,” the release continues this is a reminder to be EXTRA CAUTIOUS around school zones The sheriff’s office reminded drivers in school zones and near schools to “slow down and stay alert.” No additional information has been provided about these crashes News 6 reported that the 16-year-old attended Good Shepherd Academy An official with the school has reached out to clarify that the student attended Pine Ridge High School but was struck near the academy's campus Deltona’s senior center fielder felt the nerves as she stepped to the plate with one out and two runners on in the bottom of the seven inning of a 7-7 tie against University Tuesday “We knew that was going to be a fight,” Wolves coach Lindsay Ingram said It’s also the type of contest Ingram invites the atmosphere of that because that's what you're going to get at districts that's what you're going to get at regionals and that's what you're going to get at state,” she said “So I preach that constantly to this group that you have to block out that outside element and play your ball.” Deltona has participated in plenty of big games the last few years Mieres even scored a run in the championship game She wanted to be in that crucial position Tuesday I was hoping that I was going to be the one that was going to hit the ball to score them,” Mieres said Second-seeded Deltona (12-2) and the third-seeded Titans (14-7) traded blows throughout the evening After both clubs plated a first-inning run University grabbed a 2-1 lead on an RBI single by Kendall Lee in the top of the fourth The Wolves knotted the scoreboard at 2-2 with an RBI knock by Cleveland in the bottom of the inning the Titans responded with a two-run double by Addison Pertler to make it 4-2 two-run doubles by Cleveland and Madisyn Simmons University rattled off three tallies to level things at 7-7 in the top of the sixth Jacquelyn Lara provided the game-tying hit it's hard to win a game if you have one or two errors We played our game rather than falling into their game.” they are now the top-ranked team in the Five Star Conference They jumped top-seeded Spruce Creek (15-4) in the latest Florida High School Athletic Association rankings Monday Five Star seeding was based on last week’s poll where the Wolves sat 72nd and Spruce Creek was 50th Five Star Conference softball tournament results for April 15Deltona 8 Seabreeze 2(This story was updated to add new information.) — Residents in Volusia County are dealing with widespread flooding following Hurricane Milton with water rising so high in some places that drivers cannot get their vehicles through there were 19 roads closed due to flooding and six with signs indicating there was water over the road.  Dorchester Drive flooded after Hurricane Milton dropped more than 15 inches of rain in Volusia County.  who lives in one of the houses on the street said she has been dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane including the flooding and being without power for 36 hours because I was expecting the water to — you know "I’m glad that it didn’t come up all the way to the house this time Bon’s home flooded during Hurricane Ian and she said it took a long time to rebuild she was prepared with sandbags for Hurricanes Helene and Milton “I’m very nervous about the water coming in so I started picking things up off the ground .. cleared everything out of the yard so that we had nothing out there because last time it was just all of our stuff and we didn’t expect a flood,” Bon said she said water made its way into her house from the side.  the bathroom and the closet and part of the bedroom area the water was seeping in through the foundation on the cracks,” she said Her husband had to dig out a trench to drain the water that was entering her house.  “It worked very nicely because it was all pooled up and it was seeping in and coming in," Bon said and it started to drain and then it went fast." Bon said it has been difficult to get around.  “You have to maneuver through all the neighborhoods," she said "And there are areas that are flooded like this in certain sections and you don’t want to drive through and wake the water." said there are 16 teams out doing a damage assessment for the whole city this time we were a lot better prepared than the last hurricane that we had," Avila said "We made sure we lowered some of the water levels but it’s not as bad as the last hurricane we were hit with." Avila said Dorchester Drive is one of the roads city crews have designated as a priority.  “That’s one of the areas that’s a priority we need to make sure that we’re not taking water from one area and flooding a different resident,” he said Bon said that as she was moving the sandbags with her three kids they found a surprise that brought a little joy into the middle of the stress there was a little baby turtle," she said that was like a good thing that came out of all this.” the family decided on a fitting name.  “We were gonna call him Milton Michael Angelo,” she said The turtle Bon discovered during their storm prep Avila said city crews will continue to pump water out of flooded roads they plan to move some pumps around to help get the work done faster He also said that the city will be looking at long-term solutions to address flooding.  (This story has been updated to include new information.) A man fatally shot his ex-wife in Deltona before crashing his SUV at the Hammock Dunes toll bridge in Palm Coast as he fled from deputies and then fatally shot himself according to the Flagler County and Volusia sheriffs' offices The ex-husband was identified as Samuel Vaia and his ex-wife was identified as Ashley Vaia She was found dead in her home by her child at about 2:22 a.m in the 3200 block of Parma Drive in Deltona Her ex-husband was captured in Palm Coast after trying to flee from deputies and crashing and flipping his car off the Hammock Dunes toll bridge about an hour later according to Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly Samuel Vaia was later found suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head inside the wrecked vehicle He was taken to AdventHealth Palm Coast where he was pronounced dead After the shooting was reported in Deltona the Volusia Sheriff’s Office notified Flagler County about the suspect and provided a tag number Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a phone interview Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the vehicle which exited northbound from Interstate 95 and headed east on Palm Coast Parkway The suspect was considered armed and dangerous Deputies successfully deployed stop sticks The suspect rammed the toll gate at the Hammock Dunes bridge and his vehicle veered off the bridge flipped and landed on its wheels at the bottom of the bridge Staly said deputies could not see inside the vehicle because the airbags had deployed “We were confident he was in there but didn’t know what he was doing,” Staly said The sheriff’s office drone picked up a heat signature from inside the car The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and an armored vehicle approached the suspect's vehicle and that’s when they were able to tell the man was injured Prior domestic battery incidentThe Volusia Sheriff's Office responded to Ashley Vaia's home recently on a domestic battery call March 23 when Ashley Vaia said her ex-husband walked into her bedroom Ashley Vaia told deputies that her ex-husband pushed her into a bathroom and shut the door as he accused her of cheating on him She unsuccesfully tried to yell at her phone to call 911 When she called for another daughter in the house Ashley Vaia told deputies that they were trying to reconcile and he still had keys to her house due to the time-sharing agreement for their child Volusia Sheriff's Office stated in a Facebook post Samuel Vaia was arrested on March 23 and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail and was released March 24 after posting $2,000 bond But the situation took a deadly turn early Monday and ended with the crash in Palm Coast followed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound and we send our condolences to the victim's family during this extremely difficult time," according to the Facebook post from the Volusia Sheriff's Office Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood thanked the Flagler County Sheriff's Office Johns County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol for their help in the case Chitwood said in the Facebook post: "Our hearts go out to Ashley's children and all her family and friends who have to deal with losing her to such a senseless act of violence we see that domestic violence situations can escalate quickly and dangerously with tragic consequences." The Hammock Dunes toll bridge has reopened but bicycle and pedestrian traffic on the northwest side of the bridge is closed The Volusia Sheriff's Office post states that the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or by texting START to 88788 or via live chat at www.thehotline.org (This story has been updated to add new information.) DELTONA — While his fellow city commissioners were voting to charge him with violating the travel policy after attending the presidential inauguration on the city dime Commissioners voted unanimously, with two absences, to hold a quasi-judicial hearing Feb. 17 on the expenses Avila incurred while traveling with his wife to Washington, D.C. the mayor celebrated President Donald Trump's inauguration Then commissioners suspended the mayor's use of a city vehicle and any city-funded travel City Manager Dale "Doc" Dougherty said Avila was in Tallahassee meeting with lawmakers One commissioner said Avila's justification for attending inaugural balls and other events was to develop relationships The travel expenditures were on the minds of residents eight of whom discussed it during a public comment period after a social-media fervor had been sparked said the controversies and partisan politics have done damage to Deltona and are exhausting "We shouldn't even be talking about this in a city meeting We should be talking about our infrastructure We should be talking about how to feed our community We should be talking about what community events we're doing next," she said "This stuff right here is just a pariah on our city and I hope that moving forward our mayor will remember what we elected him for." Commissioner Dori Howington calls for accountabilityWith some of those residents bellowing from the back of the room commissioners had an elaborate discussion about what they could and could not do about the alleged violation – that Avila had not received prior approval for the trip from the rest of the City Commission Commissioner Dori Howington also said commissioners had not been informed of the trip as they should have been “We have an elected official policy for their travel And we just had out-of-state travel that took place And it was supposed to come before the commission for approval We can’t go back in time and discover who would vote yes or who would vote no So now we have travel that took place at residents’ expense Dougherty said any accountability for the alleged violation would be up to commissioners Howington responded: “So if nobody wants to discuss it then I’m going to take that as if everybody’s in acceptance of that and that we are OK with policy violations but the issue came back up at the end of the meeting when commissioners were giving their comments Commissioner Stephen Colwell first urged a vote of no confidence in the mayor City Attorney Gemma Torcivia informed commissioners they could make a symbolic vote but they couldn't take any formal sanction against Avila Monday night because it hadn't been placed on the agenda with public notice saying while violations of city code may be brought forward by commissioners the mayor would have an opportunity to make a defense Colwell changed his motion to set the hearing for the following meeting on Feb chairing the meeting because of Avila's absence asked Colwell to summarize what the allegation would be “That he was fully aware of the policies and procedures of the City of Deltona when he went on this trip This is the second time he’s done it," Colwell said Colwell said commissioners had also discussed with Avila a trip he took to Mississippi "about a year ago." offered an amendment to include: “All out-of-state travel was to be approved by majority vote of the commission and we are held accountable to our residents.” Colwell agreed to the change and commissioners voted 5-0 to set the hearing Colwell also moved to revoke the mayor's credit card and use of the city vehicle until the matter is resolved as well as ask for reimbursement of the Washington travel Commissioner Emma Santiago: 'Avoid social media drama'Dougherty explained Avila – like all city commissioners – does not have a city credit card He was allowed to use one to book his reservation at the Hyatt Place hotel for $1,687.30 and he was allowed to use a city vehicle with a WEX fleet card for gas The motion was massaged to allow Avila to return the car and suspend any of the mayor's travel until the hearing Santiago made a plea to her fellow commissioners "Let's keep the social media drama out of this building," she said "Let's focus on what we were elected to do Let's keep Deltona moving forward in a positive way." An audience member responded: "Good luck." is under scrutiny after allegedly visiting Washington D.C during the presidential inauguration last month using city funds Commissioners have accused Avila of violating the city’s travel policy prompting a vote of no confidence scheduled for Feb The issue was raised by a Deltona commissioner during a recent meeting Commissioner Dori Howington said that the mayor’s trip to Washington Expenses included hotel accommodations and gas for a city vehicle Avila’s wife allegedly accompanied him on the trip Avila released a statement to News 6 defending his actions stating that his primary reason for being in D.C Rick Scott during the inauguration period to discuss crucial funding He emphasized that the hotel expenses were for the conference dates You can read the mayor’s full statement below: Statement by Jacob Langston on Scribd News 6 also obtained the city’s current travel policy which requires out-of-state travel to conferences or seminars at the city’s expense to be approved by the commission Avila was absent from the Monday night meeting where the issue was discussed He said he was in Tallahassee for meetings with other officials former vice mayor and commissioner Jody Lee Storozuk has filed paperwork to run for mayor “It’s an event that a lot of people would love to go to but it should not be on the people that work for a living to pay the bill for any of our elected officials We should not be paying for them to go on vacation,” he said Avila is suspended from using city funds and vehicles due to the alleged violation Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: Statement by Jacob Langston on Scribd