A pair who lured a senior citizen to a violent robbery on the premise of a romantic date have been arrested in the attack.
34-year-old Chelsea Wright, of Holly Hill, and 33-year-old Andrew Marks, of Ormond Beach, are each in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail in the robbery of a 73-year-old man whose injuries required treatment at an area hospital.
Hospital staff reported the incident just before 5am on Thursday, February 22nd, after the victim was brought to the emergency room. He told responding deputies he was struck multiple times with a metal object and robbed of his wallet somewhere in the Plantation Pines neighborhood.
Detectives learned that the victim had met with Wright at a Daytona Beach bar to talk about their romantic relationship. Wright suggested he come back to her house, and he agreed, following her vehicle in his own.
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.
That’s when the passenger reappeared, hitting the victim in the head with a hard metal object, and continuing to beat him when he fell to the ground in the fetal position. The attacker then stole the victim’s wallet and fled. Wright fled, too, leaving the victim bleeding on the ground.
At the hospital, the victim was treated for numerous injuries to his head, torso, and arms, with significant lacerations to his head requiring staples, and his eye swollen shut.
Soon after the investigation began, detectives began conducting surveillance on Wright, and deputies pulled her over for a traffic infraction. Deputies found narcotics in her vehicle and took her into custody on drug charges as well as violations of her probation.
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.
Detectives identified Andrew Marks as Wright’s associate and ex-boyfriend who was involved in the robbery. Text message records revealed Wright and Marks planned it together.
Marks was located and arrested in Holly Hill on 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.
