Daytona Beach man arrested for deadly hit-and-run in Deltona over Thanksgiving Weekend.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News 

Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has been actively seeking a suspect responsible for a deadly hit-and-run crash in Deltona over Thanksgiving Weekend that claimed the life of one of the victims, Kevin Roberson.

The suspect, Demarcus “Curtis” James, 27, of Daytona Beach, was located Tuesday, December 14, and arrested.

According to witness statements, James fled the scene following the crash, abandoning a borrowed rental car and attempting to get a ride from a stranger, before heading towards Deltona High School, where he jumped the fence and disappeared. Deputies who arrived on the scene searched the vehicle and found two bags of crack cocaine, a bag of powder cocaine, four large bags of marijuana, a digital scale, cellphones, and a Glock handgun - reported lost to the Daytona Beach Police Department earlier this year. 

Two additional bags, one with crack cocaine and one with powder cocaine, were found near a black bookbag that James was carrying when he fled the scene.

Roberson, the passenger of the other vehicle, was taken to the hospital as a trauma alert but later succumbed to his injuries on November 30. The driver, who is pregnant, was admitted to the hospital in serious but stable condition.

With help from witnesses, video surveillance footage, fingerprints from a cellphone, identification from the person who rented the rental car, and the person who lent James the vehicle (the girlfriend), detectives were able to positively identify James, which led to an arrest warrant that was issued by a Judge, on December 1.

James was located and arrested Tuesday, December 14, at a Dollar General off Nova Road and 15th Street in Holly Hill.

The charges against James are:

• Hit-and-run resulting in death charge (no bond)
• Hit-and-run resulting in serious bodily injury charge ($30,000 bond)
• Armed trafficking in cocaine (no bond).
• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon ($15,000 bond)
• Possession of marijuana over twenty grams ($2,500 bond).