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The driver involved in a tragic Daytona Beach crash on April 1 that claimed the lives of three teenagers has been arrested and charged in an unrelated case. Miguel Miranda, 19, of Deltona, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and firing into an occupied dwelling in a February drive-by shooting that injured a 16-year-old babysitting an infant. Miranda is currently being held in the Volusia County Branch Jail without bail.
The driver in the fatal crash had not been previously identified. However, during the investigation of the drive-by shooting, video surveillance footage and interviews with the victim led to Miranda being identified as a person of interest. Cell phone records also placed Miranda in the area of the shooting at the time it occurred.
On April 1, Miranda was the driver of the Nissan Murano that crashed into a tree at West International Speedway Boulevard and Franklin Street at 5:03 a.m. The crash resulted in the deaths of three of Miranda’s friends, including two who had been interviewed during the drive-by shooting investigation. The only other survivor of the crash was a 16-year-old girl who suffered serious injuries.
During the crash investigation, a 9mm handgun was recovered from near the driver’s seat, which was later identified as the same weapon used in the drive-by shooting. The tragic incident involved entrapment, ejection, two trauma alerts, and three fatalities.
The three teens who died in the crash were identified as Richard Anthony Acevedo, 19, Adam Robert Acevedo, 17, of Deltona, and Michael Liburd, 14, of Orange City. Richard Acevedo, the father of Richard and Robert, described Miguel as his son’s best friend and speculated that Miguel may have fallen asleep while driving.
Miranda had a previous arrest in July 2021, along with his brother, Anderson Cantres, for attempted murder following a drive-by shooting in Deltona. Miranda is currently facing multiple charges related to both incidents. Cantres reached a plea deal with prosecutors and is currently serving a prison sentence.
The investigation into both cases is ongoing, and further details are yet to be revealed..
