DAYTONA BEACH, FL – A man authorities say who robbed gas stations in DeBary and Daytona Beach was arrested along with his partner Tuesday after deputies identified a suspect vehicle and Daytona Beach police officers spotted it down the road from the second robbery.
The first robbery happened around 2:47 a.m. at a Circle K at 339 S. Charles R. Beall Blvd., DeBary, where the store clerks told deputies a male suspect came in, demanded cigarettes, then demanded money at gunpoint. Surveillance footage of the incident showed the suspect was a white male wearing a black hat, black wig, a black covid mask, a gray sweater, black fishnet stockings and black boots.
Deputies, K-9 units and Air One flooded the area to search for suspects. While en route to the scene, a Volusia Sheriff’s watch commander spotted a suspicious U-Haul van driving with no rear lights, heading toward Seminole County. He obtained a tag number on the van and the Sheriff’s Office issued a BOLO (be on the lookout alert) to surrounding agencies and counties.
Around 4:41 a.m., an employee at the Sunoco station at 2501 W. International Speedway Blvd in Daytona Beach, reported a similar robbery with the same suspect description. Daytona Beach police soon spotted the same U-Haul van from the BOLO, now parked outside Best Buy in Daytona Beach. The van was unoccupied, but Daytona officers found two men walking in the area and identified them as suspects. One of them still had the gun in his waistband when he was apprehended, while the other had the keys to the U-Haul.
In an interview with detectives, John M. Graham, 33 confessed to dressing as a woman and committing both armed robberies. Klandi Brooks, 24, admitted he went along with Graham as he committed the robberies. The two were recently living in Maitland until they were kicked out of a family member’s home.
For the DeBary robbery, Graham is charged with robbery with a firearm and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Brooks is charged with principal to robbery with a firearm.
In the Daytona Beach case, Graham is charged with robbery with a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, while Brooks is again charged with principal to robbery with a firearm.
Both were transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail with no bond pending first appearance.
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