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Crime & Public Safety

Man Killed in DeLand Stabbing; Suspect Fled, Sheriff’s Report Says

By 2 min read

DELAND, Fla. — A man was killed in a stabbing near West Beresford Road and South High Street on Aug. 13, according to a Volusia Sheriff’s Office activity report.

Emergency vehicles at night near the scene of a fatal stabbing investigation in DeLand.

The agency logged the homicide as case 260017459 at 8:36 p.m. The report says the victim was walking on High Street when an unknown person approached him.

The victim called 911 and reported that someone was chasing him with a knife, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The two became involved in a physical altercation, during which the attacker stabbed the victim several times. The suspect then left in an unknown direction.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The agency said a watch commander, an Investigative Services supervisor and the Crime Scene Unit responded, and the investigation was transferred to the Sheriff’s Office Major Case Unit.

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CFL Report’s original caption placed the scene at Beresford Avenue and State Road 15A and said police did not have the suspect in custody. The Sheriff’s Office’s later public summary gives the location as West Beresford Road and South High Street. The official location is used in the headline and article, while the exact original wording is preserved above as part of the source record.

Victim identified; investigation continues

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office later identified the man who died as John J. Strobel, 55. The agency said Strobel lived in a camp near the area where the stabbing occurred.

VSO’s initial release said detectives were canvassing for evidence after paramedics pronounced Strobel dead at the scene. The most recent update posted on that release described the homicide investigation as active and continuing; it did not identify a suspect or announce an arrest. That is the limit of the agency’s published update and should not be read as evidence about who was responsible.

VSO says its Records Section is the central repository for incident reports, but reports from open cases may be unavailable until the matter has a disposition or is closed. That restriction helps explain why a brief public release may remain the only official account while detectives continue working. The agency lists 386-943-8276 for non-emergency dispatch in the DeLand area and directs emergencies to 911.

Sources: Volusia Sheriff’s Office District II activity reports, case 260017459, VSO’s fatal-stabbing investigation update and records guidance, and the original CFL Report video.