Jewelry

2 of 5 jewelry store robbery suspects nabbed, 1 of 2 gas station robbery suspects also caught - Daytona Beach News-Journal

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced the arrests of 2 suspects in the Sept. 18 jewelry store armed robbery in Deltona. He also announced the arrest of a suspect in an unrelated DeLand convenience store robbery that happened the same day.

A criminal "mastermind" and a man he sells drugs to were arrested in connection with a recent Deltona jewelry store robbery, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced Friday.

Jermaine Oliver, 29, and James Casali, 55, remain jailed on a charge of principal to robbery with a firearm. Oliver, who is being held without bail in Seminole County, also was charged with evidence tampering. Casali, who is jailed in Volusia, is being held on $20,000 bail.

Chitwood said Oliver was the "mastermind" of the Sept. 18 robbery at Marsilvia Jewelry, 2031 Saxon Blvd., in which three masked men entered the store, pistol-whipped one of the employees in the business and got away with $75,000 worth of merchandise. The three masked men have not been identified and have not been arrested.

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Oliver also is a drug dealer and he sold drugs to Casali, who owed him money, according to the Sheriff's Office. Casali paid off his debt by renting the car that was used in the robbery, Chitwood said.

Surveillance cameras captured the car that was used, which was traced to a car rental business in Orlando. Inside the car was a gold medallion that was stolen during the robbery, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Chitwood said Oliver and his girlfriend visited the jewelry store "several times" to "case the place" prior to the robbery.

"We know everything that happened," Chitwood said. "We know who rented the car. We know who had the car and we're working on now (the investigation into) the men who actually entered the jewelry store and pistol-whipped the clerk, smashed the glass cabinets and absconded with the jewelry."

Oliver was at the scene of the robbery, but wasn't among the three who went inside, detectives said. Chitwood wouldn't be more specific about what he did there.

Thirteen hours before the jewelry theft and 15 miles away, in DeLand, the Kangaroo Express store at 2185 W. New York Ave. was robbed by two gunmen. Chitwood announced Friday during the same media conference the arrest of one suspect and the fugitive status of the other. The two robberies are not connected.

Deputies said the suspects entered the store wearing gloves, masks and hoodie jackets and held the clerk at gunpoint. They fled the area in a silver Jeep. Detectives tracked them down through a Crime Stoppers tip, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Jonathan Rodriguez, 18, was arrested this week by Lake County sheriff's deputies in connection with a carjacking in Polk County. His alleged accomplice, Darious Lovette, 17, of Groveland, remains at large, Chitwood said.

Rodriguez was interviewed recently by Volusia sheriff's deputies and he admitted to taking part in the DeLand store robbery, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Anyone with information about Lovette's whereabouts is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS.

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