money Ali Spice case: What we know about the recent arrests of Thomas Petry and Devin Perkins
On Dec. 11, 2022, a wrong-way driver crashed into another car on State Road 44 near DeLand, killing three people, including TikTok star Ali Spice.
Spice, whose real name was Alexandra Dulin, 21, and originally from Indianapolis; Kyle Moser, 25, of Daytona Beach; and Ava Fellerman, 20, originally from Pennsylvania, died in the crash.
The driver of the wrong-way vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma, fled the scene on foot after the wreck.
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Since then, the case has drawn a lot of interest, especially on social media platforms. In February, for instance, Moser’s sister and mother took to Facebook to express their frustration over the fact that, until then, there had been no arrests made.
On Friday, after almost four months, the State Attorney’s Office announced Thomas Petry, 54, the wrong-way driver, of Orange City, who had been named in previous News-Journal stories as a suspect. Also named, surprisingly, was Devin Perkins, 22, of New Smyrna Beach.
According to police, Perkins, who drove the car in which he and the victims traveled, was driving at 100 mph at the time of the crash. According to a charging affidavit, a blood sample taken at the scene indicated he had tested positive for alcohol and THC.
Here is what we know so far about the arrests and the case:
What are the charges?
Petry faces three counts of vehicular homicide, three counts of leaving the scene of a crash with a death, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury and reckless driving – serious bodily injury, according to a charging affidavit.
Perkins was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and reckless driving-serious bodily injury.
Vehicular homicide is a second-degree felony and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, according to Florida statutes. The crime of leaving the scene of an accident with a death is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
When was Petry identified?
Just days after the incident in December, family members of one of the victims accused Petry of being the driver of the Tacoma.
The accusations were made on Facebook by Ashley Minton, the sister-in-law of Moser, and Angela Gillis, Moser's sister.
A Daytona Beach News-Journal reporter located Petry at his home to ask about the allegations online.
“There’s a lot of lies out there,” he said from behind closed doors. "My lawyer went to FHP, and they already knew my name."
He did not explicitly deny that he was the driver, but said, “FHP does not have a warrant out for me.” He also said, “I’m not hiding.”
FHP did not then confirm whether Petry was in fact in driver and that investigations were still ongoing.
What do the families say?
Perkins, who was Dulin’s boyfriend, was behind the wheel of the car when the three people died. He survived the crash and was transported to a hospital with serious injuries.
According to a GoFundMe page, Perkins suffered a broken pelvis, a damaged lung, and internal injuries.
Dulin’s father, Jimmy Dulin, told The News-Journal Friday morning that while he is relieved to know Petry has been arrested, he and other family members do not support Perkins' being charged.
"We don't believe that anything he did is the result of these children's lives being taken," Dulin said. "We're very, very sad that they have chosen to arrest Devin.”
Dulin, who lives in Indiana with his wife, said the family plans to come to Florida soon to attend as many court proceedings as possible.
"I can't describe how horrible it is to lose a child," he said. "It hasn't gotten any better."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ali Spice case: 2 men arrested in crash that killed TikTok star, others
