New Castle County Police arrested a Newark man following an attempted burglary investigation in the Eagle Trace Townhouses neighborhood.
According to police, officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Norman Drive in Newark at approximately 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2025, for a reported burglary in progress. While responding, officers were advised that a suspect had attempted to enter a residence through a rear sliding glass door and were provided with a physical description and clothing details.
Police said responding officers arrived in the area and located the suspect, later identified as 37-year-old Christopher Smith of Newark, on Norman Drive. Smith was taken into custody without further incident.
Investigators later determined that Smith had attempted to force entry into two separate homes on Norman Drive by trying to open sliding glass doors, officials said. Police said the attempts resulted in damage to screen doors, fences, and security cameras, and that Smith also entered multiple fenced yards belonging to other residents, causing additional property damage.
Detectives from the New Castle County Police Criminal Investigations Unit responded to the scene and assumed responsibility for the investigation.
Smith was transported to New Castle County Police Headquarters, where he was charged with two felony counts of attempted burglary in the first degree, four misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief under $1,000, and one misdemeanor count of trespass in the second degree.
Police said Smith was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $40,500 cash bail.