Osteen, FL - Volusia Sheriff's deputies were busy early this morning (April 6) capturing three suspects with two stolen cars in Osteen. One is a 16-year-old male. The other two, 23-year-old Mason Banks of Orlando and 22-year-old Timothy Bowser of Apopka, are both currently serving community control.
It started with an attempted car break around 2 a.m. on Longwood Drive in Osteen. Deputies arrived after the suspects were gone but were able to view their vehicle, a newer-model red 4-door passenger car, on the victim's surveillance system. They discovered several other vehicle break-ins in the area during the initial investigation. A call to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office confirmed the same suspects had just committed several vehicle burglaries near State Road 415 in Seminole.
Using the State License Plate Reader system, deputies identified the suspect vehicle as a 2016 Ford Focus with Florida tag IT2-0BH out of Orlando, which entered Volusia County shortly before the vehicle burglaries started in Osteen.
Anticipating that the suspects would use S.R. 415 to head home, a deputy took a stationary position at Reed Ellis Road. Another deputy and his K-9 took up a position at Doyle Road. He saw the suspect vehicle, traveling southbound on S.R. 415 from Doyle Road, followed closely by a black Ford Fusion and a black Chevrolet Traverse. The deputy initiated a traffic stop but all three vehicles took off at high speed.
The deputy at Reed Ellis Road was alerted and deployed Stop Sticks , successfully flattening tires on all three vehicles. The vehicles continued forward before crashing into each other. The three suspects bailed but two were caught quickly. With the help of Alert One from Seminole County, the third suspect was apprehended by K-9 Endo after a search through the ravines.
This investigation is active. Banks and Bowser are both in the Volusia County Jail being held on multiple charges with no bond set.
