6 people arrested after dozens of phones were stolen in Welcome to Rockville, Volusia deputies say

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla – Volusia County officials arrested six people accused of stealing dozens of cellphones at the Welcome to Rockville 2024 music festival in Daytona Beach on Friday.

The sheriff’s office responded to the party that evening and reported that up to 100 cell phones, as well as a large number of credit cards and other personal property, had been stolen by about 11 p.m., according to an affidavit.

Several witnesses were able to identify people who were believed to be responsible for the thefts. The sheriff’s office made the six arrests – four women and two men – some of whom were identified as “Colombian nationals who entered the United States illegally, living in Los Angeles and recently moving to Miami,” the agency said on social media.

The following people arrested Friday face separate charges of grand larceny in this case.

• Brandon Paez Diaz, 31

• David Medina Cervantes, 33

• Jessica Bonova-Pajar, 33

• Brenda Moros, 41

• “Jane Doe,” 41

• “Jane Doe,” 38

The narrative contained in the affidavit describes the group working in pairs. One person reached into the victims’ pockets, bags or purses to retrieve their contents before briefly meeting with the other person in what appeared to be a handoff, investigators said.

Moros is accused of possessing a Faraday bag designed to block electronic signals and attempting to throw it away when police officers approached her. According to the sheriff’s office, the bag contained several changes of clothing and 48 cell phones.

Overall, the sheriff’s office said, “There are too many victims to list on the affidavit and some of the victims are still coming forward to claim their stolen property.”

The two “Jane Does” were referred to as such “because investigators were unable to positively identify them, likely due to their immigration status,” the affidavit states.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood was expected to make a statement about the arrests around noon Saturday.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.

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