Former NFL wide receiver Damoun Patterson was arrested in Daytona Beach after officers pulled over a stolen white 2025 Kia SUV and found him sitting behind the wheel, capping off an investigation into a home invasion more than 50 miles away in Orlando. The arrest early on August 22 also turned up a machete-style knife on the front passenger seat, and Patterson now faces a stack of felony charges spanning two Central Florida counties.
Daytona Beach Police officers made the high-risk traffic stop around 1:06 a.m. in the 700 block of Silver Beach Avenue after locating the stolen SUV, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Officers had received an automated alert to be on the lookout for the vehicle before finding Patterson inside it. Per the same report, the case originated with an active home-invasion investigation being run by the Orlando Police Department, which intends to file additional charges including armed burglary, aggravated assault, vandalism, and vehicle theft.
Machete Found During Inventory Search
After the stop, officers conducting a routine vehicle inventory search discovered the machete-style knife on the passenger seat and logged it into evidence, the station reports. Patterson, who is from Apopka, was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on the motor vehicle theft charge on August 22, ahead of the cross-jurisdictional charges filed by authorities in Orlando, the same account notes.
According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Patterson, 31, was charged with armed burglary of a dwelling, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief, and grand theft of a motor vehicle. The charges remain allegations pending judicial proceedings. The News-Journal report, written by courts and criminal justice reporter Frank Fernandez with contributions from Chris Vinel, notes Patterson's ties to Central Florida football before detailing his arrest.
What the Charges Could Mean Legally
The legal exposure in the case is significant. Armed burglary of a dwelling is classified as a first-degree felony under Florida Statute § 810.02, carrying a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment, according to Law Firm Ocala. Grand theft of a motor vehicle and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon are each third-degree felonies under Florida law, punishable by up to five years in state prison and a $5,000 fine, per attorney Richard Hornsby.
From Apopka Standout to NFL Tryout Player
Patterson's football path traces back to Wekiva High School in Apopka, where he recorded 17 catches for 465 yards as a junior before logging 20 receptions for 256 yards as a senior, according to Utah State University Athletics. He went on to play college football at Utah State, Highland Community College, and Youngstown State, where during his 2017 senior season he majored in criminal justice and led the Penguins' receiving corps with 32 catches for 555 yards and four touchdowns across 11 games, per Youngstown State University Athletics.
Undrafted in 2018, Patterson landed an NFL contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers that May after a three-day rookie minicamp tryout, according to the team. He never appeared in a regular-season NFL game, but he made his mark in the preseason: in his debut on August 9, 2018, he caught six passes for 77 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown from quarterback Joshua Dobbs, in a 31-14 Steelers win over the Philadelphia Eagles, as detailed by 247Sports. He also caught a preseason touchdown pass with the New England Patriots in 2019 and spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per the News-Journal.
Now, decades removed from his playing days, Patterson faces the prospect of life in prison on the armed burglary count alone, with additional felony exposure from the aggravated assault and vehicle theft charges tied to the Orlando investigation. The case remains active as authorities in both Orange and Volusia counties move to finalize charges against him.
