NEWARK, DE — Delaware State Police have arrested 29-year-old Cornell Rawlings of Elkton, Maryland, in connection with an armed robbery that occurred in June 2024 at a Royal Farms store in Newark.
The incident took place on June 16, 2024, at approximately 3:08 a.m., when troopers were dispatched to the Royal Farms located at 2808 Pulaski Highway for a report of a robbery. According to the preliminary investigation, two store employees were in the back office when they noticed the store’s camera system had stopped functioning. Moments later, one of the employees heard someone enter the store and, upon leaving the office, observed a man standing at one of the front registers.
The suspect then brandished a firearm and demanded money according to police. As the second employee exited the office, they witnessed the suspect pointing the firearm at their co-worker. In compliance with the suspect’s orders, the second employee got on the ground, while the first employee handed over an undisclosed sum of cash. The suspect then fled the store.
Following an investigation by detectives assigned to Delaware State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit, Rawlings was identified as the suspect responsible for the robbery police said. A warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest.
On June 18, 2025, Rawlings was extradited from Maryland and taken into custody by Delaware authorities. He was transported to Troop 2, where he was charged with the following offenses:
- Two counts of Robbery in the First Degree (Felony)
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
- Wearing a Disguise During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Rawlings was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in lieu of $152,000 cash bond.
