A shooting Tuesday resulted in the arrest of three men after an unmarked police car was struck by gunfire in the 19th block of Summerlin Avenue. Lt. James McAuliffe of the Sanford Police Department said it is unlikely the vehicle was targeted because it was unmarked. No one was hurt.
According to the men’s arrest reports a home in the area was searched after the incident and the three men were found in the backyard, along with a handgun. Additionally, police found two rental cars, which they said they believed were involved in other shooting incidents. Inside of the one of the cars police found several boxes of ammunition.
The resident of the home told police he did not give permission for anyone to park their vehicles there or for the men to be in the backyard.
Byron M. Watkins, 19, and Christopher Hunter, 26, both of Sanford, and Albert Thompson III, 30, of Deltona, were charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling.
According to Thompson’s arrest report the vehicle found with ammunition inside was leased to him and he admitted to investigators he had knowledge of the ammunition inside. He denied purchasing the ammunition.
Thompson, who is a convicted felon, was also charged with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
McAuliffe said police will continue to investigate the shootings, which have occurred in separate parts of Sanford as well as Deltona. A task force has been put together to help with the investigation.
Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to call the Sanford Police Department at 407-688-5070 or CrimeLine at 1-800-423-TIPS.