Delaware State Police arrested 24-year-old Messiah Bernavil of Greensboro, North Carolina, on multiple charges including felony reckless endangering following a late-night incident at a Newark hotel.
On Monday, August 4, 2025, at approximately 10:45 p.m., troopers were dispatched to the Sonesta ES Suites located at 240 Chapman Road after receiving a report of gunfire. Upon arrival, troopers observed a man fleeing the hotel parking lot into a wooded area. The suspect, later identified as Bernavil, was seen with a small knife in his waistband and refused verbal commands to stop. Troopers deployed a Taser and successfully took him into custody without further confrontation.
Officials said Bernavil had been inside a hotel room waving a handgun in the presence of a 33-year-old woman, a 52-year-old woman, a nine-year-old boy, and a seven-year-old girl. When the individuals attempted to leave the room, Bernavil physically restrained the 52-year-old woman and prevented her from exiting police said. He then fired multiple gunshots before fleeing on foot. No injuries were reported, but the hotel room sustained damage from the gunfire.
The firearm believed to have been used in the incident was later recovered in the parking lot near where the Troopers saw Bernavil run away officials said.
Bernavil was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and subsequently taken to Troop 2. He was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $64,050 cash bond.
He is charged with Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Reckless Endangering First Degree, Unlawful Imprisonment First Degree, three counts of Reckless Endangering Second Degree, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Resisting Arrest, Carrying a Concealed Dangerous Instrument, and Criminal Mischief.
