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Arrest made in fatal Daytona Beach hit-and-run

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A driver who police said deliberately ran down another man has been caught.

Daytona Beach police had been working to solve the deadly hit-and-run since May.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Chitwood said Michael Edmonds' girlfriend, Christine Arnold, protected him throughout their investigation through lies and efforts to thwart detectives.

Chitwood said she could become an accessory to Christopher Farmer's violent hit-and-run death.

For weeks, detectives scoured Seabreeze Boulevard in Daytona Beach for surveillance video.

Their hope was to find video that showed Michael Edmonds behind the wheel of the car that ran down Farmer.

"They got video from Razzles, they got video from (a) club, we got video from (another) club and we were able to eventually identify people who our suspect was with," said Chitwood.

Witnesses said they saw Edmonds driving a red Toyota Celica convertible. The car belonged to Arnold.

Chitwood said the car was cleaned with bleach and Arnold wouldn't admit that Edmonds drove it.

"You have the woman, the owner of this car, Christine Arnold, a mother, who just basically told us, 'Screw you. I ain't helping you. I'm going to do everything I can to thwart you,'" said Chitwood.

Chitwood said that at one point, police even suspected her of attempting to destroy evidence when they caught her driving the car on Interstate 95 in May.

"I can't prove this, but the day we stopped her on I-95, I know in my heart that car was heading somewhere to be destroyed," said Chitwood.

The evidence, along with witness statements, went to the state attorney's office.

On Thursday, a warrant was issued for Edmonds. He was arrested during a traffic stop without incident.

"His life, I'm assuming, is going to be over when this is all said and done. A young man lost his life, so nobody won on this deal," said Chitwood.

Edmonds is being held without bond.