DELTONA, Fla. — A 25-year-old was shot and killed Tuesday at his Deltona home, Volusia County deputies said.
Deputies were called to the home at 2525 Howland Blvd. around 10 a.m.
The girlfriend of the victim told deputies she last spoke to Patick Kane Delacerda around 7:15 a.m., investigators said.
Delacerda's father received a call around 7:30 a.m. that someone was trying to deliver a package to the home and the delivery person needed the security gate open, deputies said.
A few moments later, the person called again saying the gate had not been opened. A short time later, the girlfriend was asked to check on her boyfriend and found Delacerda dead at the home.
Deputies said they’re talking to a person of interest, but the shooting appears to be domestic.
They said it's not a random act and deputies are exploring two leads, one that involves a neighbor who is an Army veteran, suffers from dementia and has had run-ins with the victim before, investigators said.
"One night in particular as this young man (Delacerda) was coming home, the older guy opened fire thinking there were intruders coming on his property," said Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
The neighbor was Baker-Acted at the time and had his weapons removed, Chitwood said. Baker Act is when someone is involuntary examined at a hospital.
The other lead involves a protection order filed in Orange County where Delacerda was threatened by his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend who said he'd hire a hit man, court documents showed. A similar petition was filed in Volusia County, but denied for a lack of sufficient evidence, documents showed.
No arrests have been made.
No other details have been released.
Channel 9's Lauren Seabrook is at the scene. Follow her on Twitter and Eyewitness News for updates.
Cox Media Group
