New Jersey murder suspect arrested again in Seminole County over gun cover-up

A botched drug deal in Oviedo, Florida, ended in a car crash, a gunshot, and an alleged weapon disposal. Four people now face charges, including a man wanted for attempted murder in New Jersey.

Attempted robbery in Oviedo spirals into crash, shooting, and evidence-tampering charges

Google News MT — Crime (en) reports that a quiet Saturday afternoon in the Live Oak Reserve neighbourhood of Oviedo, Florida, unravelled into a multi-suspect criminal case involving an attempted armed robbery, a car crash, a gunshot, and an alleged effort to destroy evidence — with one of those arrested carrying an active out-of-state murder warrant.

Oviedo Police began investigating what they describe as a "drug deal gone bad" on Saturday around 1:13 p.m. A 17-year-old approached the driver's side window of a silver Toyota sedan, driven by a 16-year-old, with a firearm concealed in his backpack. A struggle for the weapon followed. As the two fought, the driver accelerated with the 17-year-old still hanging from the outside of the vehicle, sending the car into a tree at a nearby home.

A woman living at that property told News 6 she initially mistook the sounds for fireworks. "We thought it was fireworks, because it's almost the Fourth of July," she said. Police arrived at her door shortly after. Splintered wood and car debris remained scattered at the scene days later.

After the crash, the 16-year-old driver and his passenger fled on foot. The passenger reported hearing a gunshot while running and turned to see the two suspects at the far end of the street before continuing to flee, according to arrest reports obtained by News 6.

The 17-year-old and a 15-year-old who had been with him then returned to the 17-year-old's nearby home. There, police say, he changed his clothes and placed the firearm back in his backpack. The pair then left to meet 20-year-old Darren Salazar near The Riverside Market, off County Road 419, to hand over the gun. Investigators say both teens later admitted to giving Salazar the weapon so he could dispose of it.

Four arrests, varying charges

Oviedo police arrested three juveniles in connection with the incident. The 16-year-old driver was charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription after a tan extended firearm magazine and multiple THC cartridges were found in his vehicle during an inventory search. The 17-year-old faces the most serious charges: armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, tampering with evidence, and providing false information to law enforcement during a felony investigation. The 15-year-old was charged with accessory after the fact to a first-degree felony and providing false information to law enforcement.

Salazar was located the same evening at an apartment complex on Alafaya Woods Boulevard, seated in a silver Honda Civic bearing a New Jersey licence plate. Detectives identified him as a person of interest. Two of the teens confirmed his identity, referring to him by the nickname "Huncho." A search of Salazar and the vehicle did not recover the firearm. He was charged with tampering with evidence in a criminal proceeding and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and was transported to the John E. Polk Correctional Facility.

A history of prior arrests in the same county

Court records show it was not Salazar's first encounter with local law enforcement. He had previously been arrested in October — a case News 6 first reported — when Seminole County Sheriff's Office deputies used their vehicle to stop him from fleeing at a busy Winter Springs intersection. At that time, Salazar was wanted for attempted murder in New Jersey.

Following that October arrest, records show Salazar was booked in Seminole County jail and subsequently transferred to Orange County the following month on a separate case. News 6 confirmed with Orange County jail that Salazar was booked there on a domestic violence charge, posted a $500 cash bond the next day, and was released.

Salazar is now back in custody at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Seminole County. News 6 has contacted prosecutors in New Jersey to determine whether Salazar was ever extradited following his October arrest and, if not, why that did not occur.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)