Neighbors cheer following multiple arrests in SWAT raid of suspected drug house

HOLLY HILL, Fla. - A raid at a suspected drug house in Holly Hill, Florida landed fourteen people in jail. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said in a tweet on Tuesday that neighbors applauded the deputies when they made the arrests.

Going out to the neighborhood, a FOX 35 News crew was able to confirm people were cheering for the bust. It’s something many neighbors said they have been waiting for going about three years now.

People on South Flamingo Drive woke up to the sound of an explosion and a bright flash of light around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday. Robert Burbage said at first he thought the sound was a transformer going off.

"But when the lights didn’t go out, I was like, ‘Oh, they’re finally raiding them. Thank God,’" said Burbage.

Deputies say the home has been the subject of multiple complaints about narcotics activity, The sheriff’s office says the house is also the site of multiple overdose calls, including a fatal one.

"The police have been out here – I don’t even have that many fingers to count," said Ty Tanner, another neighbor. "Everyone around here knew what was going on because we would find random drug paraphernalia on the street."

Burbage says he and other neighbors have gone to City Hall several times to complain about that house.

"Constant traffic, drugs, prostitution, just driving us all nuts," said Burbage. "We waited a long time, but they did what they said they were going to do."

Fayelyn Day has lived down the road for the past seven years. She says there’s near-constant activity at the home. 

"What I could only describe as sex workers walking down the street to people dropping drugs inside of my tree on my property and other people picking them up, to people getting dropped off right here," listed Day. "People walking down the street to make their trade. You name it, it’s been going on."

Nancy Adams says she’s lived in the neighborhood for 27 years, and that she was friends with the former owners of that house, but for the past three years, she says the new head of the house has been terrorizing the neighborhood.

"I’m so happy this happened today. It’s been a long time coming," said Adams. "Hopefully this will take care of it, and there will be no more of this."

That last thought Adams expressed is something commonly held in the neighborhood: they’re thankful the raid took place, but worried the people who were arrested will return. 

"Criminals have a way of coming back and doing what they do," said Burbage. "But we’ll keep on, and we’ll keep pressing law enforcement to keep coming back and doing their thing."

The house now has a sign posted on the door deeming it uninhabitable.