Deltona Hit And Run Suspect Arrested

Deltona, FL – The man responsible for a hit and run crash that landed a man and a pregnant woman in the hospital is now in the custody of Volusia County law enforcement. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office (VSO) says investigators identified 27-year-old Demarcus “Curtis” James of Daytona Beach as the driver of a rental car that hit a pregnant woman’s car on November 27, sending her and her passenger, the father of their unborn child, to the hospital in serious condition. Deputies say the couple was on the way to get something to eat when the crash happened. After the crash, witnesses say James ran away from the scene and attempted to get a ride from a stranger. When he couldn’t get a ride, he ran towards Deltona High School, jumped a fence, and disappeared. Investigators say a search of his abandoned vehicle led to the discovery of two bags of crack cocaine, a bag of powder cocaine, four large bags of marijuana, a digital scale, cell phones and a Glock handgun reported lost to the Daytona Beach Police Department earlier this year. When K-9 units attempted to search for James, deputies recovered an additional bag of crack cocaine and another bag of powder cocaine next to a black bag witnesses say James was carrying as he ran away. Both victims in the hit and run crash were rushed to the hospital, with the passenger, who has since been identified as Kevin Roberson of Deltona, was admitted as a trauma alert. The woman was said to be in serious but stable condition. Roberson died three days after the crash. In the investigation, deputies tracked down the person who initially rented the car James crashed. They told investigators they lent it to another person, who in turn also lent the car to a man she had just started dating.  With the help of witnesses, surveillance footage, and a fingerprint left behind in the suspect vehicle, detectives identified James as the driver. An arrest warrant for James was filed on December 1. He was located and arrested on Tuesday (Dec. 14) in the parking lot of a Dollar General store on Nova Road and 15th Street in Holly Hill. His arrest warrant charged him with hit-and-run resulting in death, hit-and-run resulting in serious bodily injury, armed trafficking in cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of marijuana over 20 grams.