Newark Police have updated the story only First State Update told you about earlier this week. This is why Trooper 4 was searching the woods behind Home Depot.
On June 11, 2023, Newark Police responded to the 100-block of Thorn Lane for a report of a vehicle theft. The vehicle was stolen from the parking lot of the apartment complex sometime in the 24 hours prior to the report.
While investigating the initial vehicle theft, Newark Police received a call about a suspicious vehicle parked in the unit block of O’Daniel Avenue. The vehicle was determined to be the vehicle reported stolen from Thorn Lane. However, upon police arrival, the vehicle was no longer present. Minutes later, an officer observed the vehicle near Otts Chapel Road. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle and it fled into Cecil County, Maryland. The officer engaged in a short pursuit with the vehicle, but stopped the pursuit due to the potential danger to the public. The vehicle was later recovered in Maryland by the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office. Officers were able to view video surveillance from the O’Daniel Avenue incident and obtained a suspect description.
On June 14, 2023, Newark Police officers responded to a residence in the 1100-block of Blair Court for a report of a stolen vehicle. The victim reported that unknown suspect(s) entered his occupied residence sometime the previous evening, stole the keys to his vehicle and fled the area in the victim’s vehicle. Newark Police recovered the vehicle later that day on O’Daniel Avenue. Surveillance video showed similar physical descriptions to the suspects from the June 11 incident.
Based upon the descriptions and other investigative means, Newark Police identified two of the suspects in both of these incidents. Later in the day on June 14, the suspects were observed in the area of the Christina Mill Apartments by a Newark officer. The officer engaged in a foot pursuit with the suspects and took one of them into custody. He was identified as a 16 year-old male from Wilmington. The other suspect fled on foot toward District Drive. Officers formed a perimeter in the area and were able to locate the suspect. The suspect jumped from a third floor walkway in an attempt to flee the police. He was taken into custody at the scene and found to be in possession of stolen property belonging to one of the victims police said. He was identified as a 16-year-old male from Newark. He was transported by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries as a result of his jump from the third floor. He was treated and released back into the custody of Newark Police.
Newark Police were assisted in the search for the suspect on District Drive by the Delaware State Police Aviation Unit.
Both suspects were transported to Newark Police headquarters where they were charged with:
- 16 year-old Newark Male – Bail $31,100 secured
- Burglary First Degree
- Theft of a Motor Vehicle
- Receiving Stolen Property
- Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal
- Conspiracy Second Degree
- Theft Under $1,500 (2 counts)
- Resisting Arrest
- Criminal Mischief
- 16 year-old Wilmington Male – Bail $5,000 secured
- Receiving Stolen Property
- Conspiracy Second Degree
- Resisting Arrest
Both suspects appeared before Justice of the Peace Court #11 by video and were ordered to be held in default of the bail amounts listed above. Both suspects were turned over to the custody of the New Castle County Detention Center in Wilmington.