DSP News Release: Man Charged after Shoplifting Incident

Location: Home Depot, 2000 Peoples Plaza Drive, Newark, DE

Date of Occurrence:   Thursday, August 4, 2011 at 8:30 p.m.

Defendant:  Martin E. Goodwin, Jar, 31, Elkton, MD

Victims: 

-55 year old male employee

-44 year old male employee

-37 year old male employee

Charges:

-Shoplifting

-Assault 2^nd Degree

-Aggravated Menacing (3 counts)

-Terroristic Threatening (3 counts)

-Receiving Stolen Property

-Possession of a Deadly Weapon during the Commission of a Felony (3 counts)

-Resisting Arrest

-Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon

Resume: 

Newark- The Delaware State Police arrested an Elkton, Maryland man after he injured a store employee while being apprehended for shoplifting yesterday evening.

The incident began after Martin E. Goodwin, Jr. entered the Home Depot store located in the 2000 block of Peoples Plaza Drive, in Newark at approximately 8:30 p.m. last night, August 4th. Goodwin proceeded to obtain a shopping cart and was then observed by store personnel responding to the section of the store where copper wiring is displayed for sale. He then attempted to remove rolls of wire from display, however he was not successful due to the fact that the rolls were secured on the display shelf and can not be removed without the help of an employee.  Goodwin then proceeded to remove other types of wire that were not secured, as well as assorted tools from display, and placed them into the shopping cart. He then attempted to exit the store without paying for the merchandise. Goodwin was then confronted by three store employees who attempted to detain him. He then produced a box cutter knife and threatened the employees with it. He also informed the employees that he was armed with a gun. As the employees attempted to disarm Goodwin, one of the employees was cut on his hand. The employees were finally able to subdue him and escort him to the security office where Troopers were then contacted.  A gun was not located.

After a State Trooper arrived and began questioning Goodwin, he became agitated and ran from the security office. The Trooper was able to detain him however, as he ran out of a rear door. Further investigation revealed Goodwin had driven to the Home Depot in a 1995 Jeep Wrangler that had been reported stolen to the Elkton, Maryland Police Department earlier in the day.

Martin Goodwin was arrested and charged with the above list of crimes. He was arraigned at JP Court 11 and then committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institution for lack of $107,000 secured bail.

    Martin E. Goodwin, Jr.

Released Friday, August 05, 2011 at 10:55 a.m.