The Delaware State Police have arrested a 42-year-old Maryland man in connection with a series of burglaries that investigators say spanned nearly two years and affected dozens of businesses across multiple jurisdictions.
According to police, Keeno Exum, of Elkton, Maryland, was identified as the suspect in 26 burglaries investigated by the Delaware State Police Property Crimes Unit between January 2024 and December 2025. Investigators determined the incidents shared consistent methods and suspect characteristics, including similar clothing and the use of a black mask. Police said the burglaries primarily targeted Asian and Hispanic restaurants during early morning hours, generally between 4:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Investigators reported that in each case the suspect gained entry either by prying open doors or throwing hard objects through glass. Once inside, offices and cash registers were ransacked before the suspect fled on foot with stolen money. Authorities also determined that businesses in surrounding jurisdictions, including Middletown, Delaware, were targeted in a similar manner.
Through coordinated investigative efforts involving the Delaware State Police and the Middletown Police Department, detectives identified Exum as the suspect in all of the incidents. Police learned he operated multiple vehicles, including a Toyota Camry.
On December 15, 2025, at approximately 6:15 a.m., troopers observed Exum driving the Camry on Old Capitol Trail near St. James Church Road in Wilmington. When troopers attempted a traffic stop on Kirkwood Highway near Delaware Park Drive, police said Exum fled at a high rate of speed. The pursuit was later discontinued after entering Pennsylvania. Investigators continued surveillance from a safe distance until the vehicle stopped at an apartment in the 800 block of Clear Blossom Drive in Elkton, Maryland.
Assistance was requested from the Elkton Police Department, which obtained a search warrant for the apartment. Police said the warrant was executed around 11:00 a.m., during which Exum attempted to flee by jumping from a second-story window before being taken into custody. A search of the residence revealed clothing and other items investigators believe were used during the burglaries.
Exum was initially held at the Cecil County Detention Center before being extradited to Delaware and transported to Troop 2. On December 16, 2025, he was charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses, including wearing a disguise during the commission of a felony, third-degree burglary, possession of burglar tools, attempted burglary, multiple counts of felony and misdemeanor theft, disregarding a police officer’s signal, criminal mischief, and related traffic violations. He was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $321,611 cash bond.
