Suspect arrested in February’s drive-by shooting in Deltona.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

The Volusia Sheriff's Office successfully solved a shooting incident on Trade Street in Deltona in February that left a 16-year-old boy injured while he was babysitting an infant.

The extensive investigation conducted by detectives with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office has led to the arrest of Miguel Miranda, a 19-year-old resident of Deltona, who is now facing charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and firing into an occupied dwelling in connection with the incident.

Upon arrival at the scene, around 7:20 a.m. on February 12, 2023, Sheriff's Deputies discovered the 16-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his arm. At the time of the incident, the victim had been sleeping in a front bedroom with his 7-week-old nephew when two shots were fired through the window. Unfortunately, one of the bullets struck the 16-year-old, but the infant remained unharmed.

Initially, the investigation faced challenges due to a lack of leads. However, Detective Devon Barrett, the detective assigned to the case, diligently combed the neighborhood for video surveillance footage. Eventually, he was able to locate footage showing a potential suspect vehicle near the crime scene. Multiple follow-up interviews with the victim, his friends, and family helped develop leads toward a suspect and several associates. Detective Barrett identified the registered owner of the suspect vehicle and found connections to multiple persons of interest, including Miranda.

An unexpected breakthrough in the case occurred on April 1 when Miranda was involved in a fatal car crash in Daytona Beach, claiming the lives of three of his friends. Intriguingly, investigators previously interviewed two of the deceased individuals during the shooting investigation. As authorities examined the crash scene, a 9mm handgun was near the driver's seat, where Miranda had been seated. Further analysis revealed that the recovered firearm was the same gun used to fire the bullet retrieved from the bedroom on Trade Street. The handgun was subsequently sent for ballistics comparison, confirming the match.

Moreover, after executing a search warrant to obtain historical cell phone data, investigators confirmed that Miranda's phone was present near Trade Street as the shooting occurred. Subsequently, the phone's location indicated that Miranda had left the county immediately after the incident.

Following these breakthroughs, the Volusia Sheriff's Office's Deltona Crime Suppression Team successfully located and arrested Miguel Miranda on Wednesday evening. He was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail and is in custody without bond.