VSO Arrests Murder Suspect After 3-Hour Standoff

A three-hour standoff with law enforcement in south Volusia County ended in the arrest of a homicide suspect, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office announced Monday. 65-year-old John Schmalz-Riedt was taken into custody and booked into jail without bond in the early hours of the morning after the incident began on Sunday. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office received a be-on-the-lookout notice from the Altamonte Springs Police Department Sunday, detailing a black Ram pickup truck apparently driven by Schmalz-Riedt. He had allegedly committed a homicide that was reported to law enforcement at 3:15 p.m. that day. Schmalz-Riedt’s truck was picked up on a license plate reader camera at around 4:30 p.m. A VSO deputy followed behind, traveling southbound on SR-415. A traffic stop was attempted, the VSO said, but Schmalz-Riedt allegedly refused to stop and continued driving. Stop sticks were deployed in front of the truck, reportedly puncturing a rear tire. The truck then turned onto Howland Blvd in Deltona, where a deputy administered a PIT maneuver. The truck stopped in a nearby treeline, and deputies surrounded it. Schmalz-Riedt is said to have not complied with commands from deputies during an incident that quickly evolved from high-risk traffic stop to full-blown standoff. Deputies reached Schmalz-Riedt by phone in the aftermath, and he allegedly wouldn’t agree to peacefully exit the truck. At around 8:30 p.m., Schmalz-Riedt reportedly surrendered to SWAT deputies. He was arrested and transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail. Schmalz-Riedt is charged in Altamonte Springs with second degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In Volusia County he’s charged with fleeing or eluding.