DELAND — A man fleeing Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies when his SUV crashed into a Volkswagen Beetle, killing the Ormond Beach woman driving the car, was indicted on first-degree felony murder and other charges.
State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced the indictment of Stevens Charles, 40, of Miami, during a press conference on Oct. 6 at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand.
The woman killed in the crash was a retiree driving home after volunteering at a local hospital.
If convicted of first-degree felony murder, Charles will be sentenced to mandatory life in prison without parole.
Charles was wanted for car burglaries in St. Johns County and his car was spotted in Palm Coast on Sept. 16, Larizza said. But Charles failed to obey law enforcement and stop. Instead, he drove his large Chevrolet Suburban SUV at speeds exceeding 110 mph on Sept. 16 as he fled from Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies, Larizza said.
During the chase on U.S. 1 southbound, Charles crashed into a sheriff’s office patrol car as he continued to flee, Larizza said.
Just inside Volusia County near Destination Daytona, Charles drove the wrong way up the northbound Interstate 95 off-ramp at U.S. 1 and crashed head-on into the Volkswagen Beetle, Larizza said.
Julia Wagner, 71, who was driving the Beetle, died of her injuries at a hospital, Larizza stated.
Woman was volunteer at AdventHealth
An Instagram post about her death stated she was a volunteer at AdventHealth in Daytona Beach.
“Imagine this, coming off of the interstate, you are getting ready to go home, and all of the sudden here comes this Chevy Suburban coming up the wrong way on that exit ramp. She just didn’t have a chance; God bless her,” Larizza said. “The defendant drove that car, smacked her right in the front end. It’s horrific to see the photographs of what the Suburban did to that little Volkswagen Beetle.”
He said Wagner had been married for 35 years.
“Just a wonderful woman who wanted to stay involved with her community,” Larizza said. “And on the other end of this you have a defendant, a multiple-convicted felon, including fleeing and eludes in the past, who put countless lives at risk operating a motor vehicle and not obeying law enforcement command.”
In addition to first-degree felony murder, Charles was charged with vehicular homicide; fleeing or attempting to elude siren and lights activated with high speed/reckless driving causing serious injury or death; aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude with serious injury or death; and leaving scene of crash with death.
The underlying felonies for the first-degree felony murder charge are resisting an officer with violence and aggravated fleeing and eluding, Larizza said. Either of those charges allow prosecutors to upgrade charges to first-degree felony murder.
Prosecutor: Accused had lengthy record
Larizza said Charles has a lengthy arrest record in several states, including Florida. He was previously convicted of fleeing and eluding in Miami-Dade County. He also has a long record of civil and criminal traffic infractions, including reckless driving and unlawful speed.
“If he would have stopped and just stopped and surrendered to law enforcement, that’s all he had to do, he wouldn’t be facing first-degree felony murder charges now looking at life in prison,” Larizza said. “I can’t stress enough how important it is, folks, they need to comply with law enforcement.”
Larizza added: “This guy, he was running, he didn’t want to get caught, but look at the situation he’s in now.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Miami man indicted on 1st-degree murder in Ormond Beach woman’s death during chase
Reporting by Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
