DELTONA, Fla. - One suspect is in custody charged with first degree murder following a fatal stabbing in Deltona, the Volusia Sheriff's Office announced Sunday evening. The 21-year-old victim was initially treated for his injuries, but later succumbed at the hospital.
According to the VSO's statement, the incident began at around 11:00 am Sunday when the suspect and victim got into an argument at a residence on Glenridge Terrace. The victim, who was not named, exited the house visibly bleeding from his abdomen. A witness came to the victim's aid and dialed 911.
Meanwhile, VSO deputies responded and soon began their search for 31-year-old Joseph McDonald, the man who another occupant told them was responsible. He had reportedly already fled the scene when police arrived. McDonald's photo was released to the public, and calls began to come in from residents who said they'd sighted him.
The victim was rushed to the hospital by paramedics after their arrival on-scene, where he would ultimately die from his injuries. Asked who shot him, the victim pointed back at the house. He was unable to give more information in his critical state.
McDonald was reportedly spotted at around 1:15pm emerging from the brush around Newmark Drive, three miles from where the murder occurred. Deputies approached, with rifles and handguns trained on him. He then cooperated as he was ordered to the ground, handcuffed, and taken into custody.
The man in the garage who pointed deputies toward McDonald described a tense scene in the moments leading to the killing. They had gotten to the house looking for McDonald's brother, the man said, with plans to hang out and smoke marijuana together. Encountering McDonald instead, the pair was welcomed in and began smoking without him. An argument ensued, and the man said the two began to fight. That's when the victim is said to have exited the home bleeding.
