Newark – New Castle County Police continue to investigate the attempted kidnapping and robbery in the Bluffs Apartments, according to Police Spokesman J.P. Piser.
Piser On Monday (March 6) evening at about 6:30 p.m., New Castle County Police were dispatched to the area of Sheldon Drive in the Bluffs for an attempted robbery.
Officers contacted the victim who stated she was walking her dog when she observed a male dressed in all black near the front door of her apartment.
The suspect approached the victim and stated he was going to rob her as he displayed a handgun, said Piser. He then followed her to her apartment. When they arrived at the apartment, another adult resident answered the door. The suspect then fled on foot towards the entrance to the complex. The female victim was not assaulted or injured.
The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’8’’tall, medium build, wearing dark clothing and gloves.
Officers responded to the scene and searched the area, but did not locate the suspect.
During the past three investigations, County Police have learned details about the suspect that are important for the public to know. The suspect is described as a 5’7”-5’10” average to thinly-built male. At this point in the investigation, detectives cannot be certain of the suspect’s race. In the Top of the Hill incident as well as the Arundel incident, the suspect is described as having a distinct accent. Detectives are unable to determine exactly what type of accent.
In the Top of the Hill incident, a black SUV is mentioned as suspicious. There is no evidence to link that vehicle to the suspect other than it was a suspicious vehicle in the area around the time of the incident.
Detectives do have surveillance photos from the banks. Unfortunately, they are vivid images of a terrified victim with a poorly depicted suspect with his face covered. Detectives continue to work on enhancing the video in order to recover any evidence. The video depicts no plainly identifiable features of the suspect; therefore it will not be released at this time.
“We are currently deploying resources throughout the County in an effort to apprehend the suspect,” said Lieutenant Colonel Vaughn Bond Jr, Interim Chief of Police. “This deeply concerns all of us and we are taking this personally. These victims could have been a member of our family. We do have surveillance video and are working on enhancing it, but regrettably the images of the suspect are very poor. If we obtain a good photo or video of the suspect that we think will lead to the identification of this suspect, we will release it.
We thank those who have called with reports of suspicious activity and ask the community to continue to be vigilant and keep us informed.”
Police are asking anyone with surveillance footage of the area or information pertaining to this investigation to please contact Detective Levy via e-mail at [email protected] or New Castle County Police at (302) 573-2800.
Police are offering the following safety tips:
Be aware of your surroundings
Don’t be distracted by texting- keep your eyes and ears open and hands free
Call someone while walking
Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back
Trust your gut
Avoid hiding spots- walk in well-lit visible places
Change up your routine
Anyone who is interested in community block watch or community programs can contact the Community Services Unit at (302) 395-8050.
1st Incident – Top Of The Hill
2nd Incident – Arundel Apartments
Citizens can also submit a tip by calling (302) 573-2800 or via our website at http://www.nccpd.com. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or visit us on Facebook at New Castle County Police Department.
Citizens who currently have the smartphone application are encouraged to use the “submit tip” tab to submit tips. Select a topic by using the “drop down” and complete the tip by “clicking” submit. The New Castle County Police Smartphone Application is free to download and available for all iPhone and Android smartphones.
A reward of up to $20,000.00 is available to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of those responsible for violent crimes being investigated by this agency.