VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A man and woman in Volusia County face charges after deputies said the pair lured a 73-year-old man to a violent robbery on the premise of a romantic date, according to a news release.
Deputies said the victim was brought to the emergency room of a local hospital on Feb. 22 around 5 a.m. stating that he was hit multiple times with a metal object and robbed of his wallet in the Plantation Pines neighborhood.
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According to the release, the victim met 34-year-old Chelsea Wright at a Daytona Beach bar to discuss their “romantic relationship.” Wright suggested he come back to her house, and the man followed her vehicle in his own.
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“At one point on the drive, Wright stopped to pick up someone from the side of the road. She continued driving, with the victim following, then stopped and dropped off her passenger near a home. The victim then got out of his car and approached Wright’s vehicle,” according to the release.
Deputies said the passenger reappeared and struck the victim in the head with a hard, metal object. The victim was repeatedly hit with the object before falling to the ground.
The attacker, later identified as 33-year-old Andrew Marks, then stole the victim’s wallet and ran away. Wright also left the scene, leaving the victim bleeding on the ground, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said they later pulled Wright over for a traffic infraction after they started surveillance on her. Officials found drugs in the vehicle and she was arrested on drug and violation of probation charges.
“Wright was not truthful during her interviews, claiming that the attacker was an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease who she picked up on the side of the road,” the release stated.
According to the release, text messages showed that Wright and Marks planned the attack together.
Marks was located and arrested Friday in Holly Hill and faces charges of robbery with a weapon and aggravated battery on a victim over the age of 65. Wright was arrested as principal to the same charges.
Both remain in custody, deputies said.
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