Burglary and Assault suspect arrested after fleeing deputies in Deltona.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

A burglary and assault suspect who attempted to break into a residence in Deltona, shattering a window in the process, before brandishing a knife at a neighbor, was apprehended on Thursday following a two-hour search near State Road 415.

The suspect, identified as Christopher Sosa, had sought refuge in the woods to evade capture around 1:45 p.m. on Thursday when law enforcement authorities responded to a call from witnesses residing on the 1300 block of Azora Drive that Sosa had forcefully damaged a window and cut through a screen door to enter the house.

According to a release, Sosa had been an unwanted guest at the house for about three weeks without paying rent or contributing to the home, while the residents had informed him several times, he was no longer welcome there. Sosa was gone when deputies arrived but was spotted by a deputy driving on Saxon Boulevard, who attempted a traffic stop. However, he took off at high speed, fled through Deltona, and hit the bumper of another deputy who tried to stop him when he entered the parking area of Pine Ridge High School. From there, Sosa fled south on Howland Boulevard, where a deputy successfully deployed stop sticks. Sosa kept going but eventually abandoned his disabled car on the side of SR 415 and ran into the woods.

A comprehensive search operation was promptly launched in collaboration with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, concentrating on the vicinity of State Road 415 and Reed Ellis Road. The combined efforts of law enforcement and the assistance of a vigilant citizen led to a breakthrough when an individual observed a man emerging from the woods near the bridge close to the Volusia-Seminole County line. The sighting prompted the authorities to intensify their search, resulting in Sosa being spotted in dense foliage approximately 400 yards west of State Road 415 shortly before 4 p.m.

With his escape path blocked, Sosa complied with the officers' instructions before being taken into custody without further incidents or resistance.

Sosa faces charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, two counts of criminal mischief, resisting an officer without violence, and armed trespassing on school property. Sosa remained in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail on Friday morning with a bond of $45,500.