The Delaware State Police arrested 35-year-old Joshua Tenaglia of Newark, Delaware, for murder stemming from a Newark area fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred in early July.
Officials said on July 5, 2024, at approximately 4:14 p.m., a pedestrian was walking northbound on the right shoulder of Salem Church Road, north of Michaels Lane. At the same time, an unknown white vehicle was also traveling northbound on Salem Church Road, north of Michaels Lane.
The preliminary investigation showed that the vehicle swerved onto the shoulder, where it struck the pedestrian. The striking vehicle did not remain at the scene and fled northbound on Salem Church Road.
The pedestrian, 57-year-old Michael D’Aloise of Newark, Delaware, was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Through investigative means, investigators from the Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit and Homicide Unit identified the suspect vehicle as a white Mazda 3 and identified Joshua Tenaglia as the driver of the Mazda at the time of the crash police said Friday.
Officials said Detectives further discovered that before the crash, Tenaglia was involved in an argument and threatened a man in a business in Salem Village Square Shopping Center. The man Tenaglia argued with was dressed similarly to D’Aloise, and D’Aloise was mistakenly targeted by Tenaglia according to police. Due to the nature of the investigation, the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit assumed the investigation.
On July 29, 2024, Tenaglia was indicted by a New Castle County Grand Jury. On July 30, 2024, detectives took Tenaglia into custody and transported him to Troop 2, where he was charged with Murder 1st Degree (Felony), Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony), Leaving the Scene of a Collision Resulting in Death (Felony), and Failure to Report a Collision Resulting in Injury or Death. He was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $1,066,001 cash bond.