DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Local police have apprehended a man in connection with a disturbing murder incident in which a woman was ejected from a moving vehicle. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Julio Rivera had been under investigation previously for possession of a stolen motorcycle.
Daytona Beach police embarked on a manhunt for Rivera, spanning the Madison, Seagrave, and North Street locales. In the course of the investigation, they sought assistance from a woman, later known to be the eventual victim of the homicide.
Following her interaction with the officers, the woman was witnessed entering a white pickup truck alongside five others. Ignoring police requests to stop and police sirens, the truck immediately sped off, instigating a chase that ended up on Vera Street.
Arthur and Barbara Smith, local residents, were on their porch when they noticed the speeding vehicle zoom past them. Barbara Smith reported a distress call from the woman inside the truck, desperately seeking help. Shortly thereafter, at the street end, the woman was hurled from the moving vehicle, as reported by investigators.
The pickup truck successfully evaded the police momentarily and was later discovered deserted on Coquina Avenue.
The investigation culminated in the arrest of Rivera, with charges of second-degree murder, grand theft auto, and fleeing and eluding police pressed against him. Another man, Michael Doudney, was also apprehended for fleeing and eluding. As per the arrest report, Doudney confessed to driving the vehicle during the incident.
In addition to these arrests, police arrested another individual at the search warrant scene for a separate criminal offense originating from Orange County.
Julio Rivera, though in custody, was taken to the hospital on Wednesday evening after reportedly consuming a substance prior to his arrest.