Wilmington Police have released details surrounding the chase that only First State Update told you about over the weekend.
Officials said officers are investigating two separate armed robbery incidents that transpired on Saturday evening, with a subsequent arrest made in connection to the cases.
Between 7:00 and 8:00, Wilmington Police received reports an armed robbery involving four individuals at the intersection of Chestnut Street and S Van Buren Street. Simultaneously, emergency response teams and officers were dispatched to an incident in the 1100 block of Maryland Avenue, not far from the other scene. Reports from that location indicated that a victim had sustained injuries during a separate armed robbery.
Responding officers provided a description of the suspect vehicle, leading members of the Safe Streets Task Force to locate the vehicle at approximately 8:11 PM in the 100 block of Greenhill Avenue. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle it fled at a high rate of speed. The vehicle eventually made its way onto Kennett Pike (Route 52) and fled in to Pennsylvania. Wilmington Officers continued that chase eastbound on Route 1 before being joined by Pennsylvania State Police. When the chase reached Route 202 the male driver fled on foot and was taken into custody without further incident.
Officials said the unidentified arrested male subject is presently awaiting arraignment in Pennsylvania on the charges related to the incident there, with plans for extradition to Delaware at a later date. Specific details about the charges and bail arrangements will be made available after the suspect’s arraignment in Delaware according to a Wilmington Police spokesman.
During the initial investigation, officers learned that the victims may have been targeted based on their Hispanic ethnicity police said Tuesday.
The Wilmington Police are urging anyone with information related to these incidents to contact Sgt. Sean Nolan at (302) 654-5151 or via email at [email protected].
The vehicle continued into Pennsylvania where it turned onto Route 1 in Pennsylvania, in the direction of Chadds Ford . The pursuit continued, with law enforcement officers closely tailing the suspect vehicle. As the chase neared Route 202 Pennsylvania State Police joined in the pursuit.
Near the intersection of Route 1 and Route 202 the vehicle stopped and multiple suspects fled on foot. Shortly after the chase ended one suspect was apprehended by law enforcement officers in the vicinity of the McDonald’s a short distance away. It’s not clear if any other suspects were taken into custody.
Multiple readers reported seeing officers search the area with long guns drawn.