Three Arrested for Heroin Possession After Car Stop

Presented by Public Information Officer Master Corporal Gary Fournier

Seaford, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested three men for heroin possession after a pursuit near Seaford.

The incident occurred around 5:25 p.m. Sunday June 5, 2016, as a trooper on patrol in the area of Sussex Highway (US13) and Herring Run Road observed a blue Nissan Altima traveling westbound on Herring Run Road turn into the Seaford Village Shopping Center. A computer inquiry into the Delaware registration indicated that the vehicle had been flagged as wanted due to felony warrants for burglaries and a recent pursuit with troopers.  The trooper was able to get behind the vehicle as it traveled through the parking lot and as the Nissan approached the southwest corner of the shopping center, the trooper activated the emergency equipment in order to conduct a traffic stop.  The car failed to stop and made a U-turn in the parking lot and drove northbound until it was able to turn westbound on Herring Run Road.  The operator then continued through the intersection of Bridgeville Highway and then northbound on Ross Station Road.  At the intersection of Atlanta Road, the Altima drove southbound a short distance to Owls Nest Road where it continued westbound until the operator lost control on a sharp left corner and came to a stop in a cornfield.

The driver, who was later identified as Davontay L. Turner, 22 of Bridgeville, then fled out of the vehicle until he was taken into custody without further incident by the pursuing trooper.  Two passengers in the car, Douglas E. Butler, 21 of Bridgeville, and Vanessa Thomas-Paul, 20 of Ashburn, Virginia, remained with the vehicle and were taken into custody without incident by assisting troopers.  A search of the vehicle revealed a total of 427 bags of heroin weighing 6.405 grams, .9 grams of cocaine, 7.15 grams of marijuana, and over $1,100.00 in suspected drug proceeds.

All three were transported back to Troop 5 in Bridgeville where Douglas Butler and Vanessa Thomas-Paul were charged with Possession of Heroin, Conspiracy 2nd, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana, and three counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Vanessa Thomas-Paul was additionally charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence when she threw a purple bag from the passenger’s side window containing heroin.  They were both arraigned at JP3 and remanded to the custody of the Delaware Department of Corrections in lieu of $11,650.00 secured bond and $12,750.00 secured bond respectively.

Davontay Turner was charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver Heroin, Possession of Heroin, Conspiracy 2nd, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana, Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal, Resisting Arrest, four counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving While Suspended or Revoked, and various other traffic related offenses involved in this incident.  He was also arrested on three other warrants that stemmed from incidents that occurred between May 19, 2016 and June 2, 2016, one of them in which was a domestic related assault in which he strangled his ex-girlfriend during an argument after he broke into her home at Hickory Tree Apartments in Selbyville.  For that incident, he was charged with three counts of Burglary 2nd, Robbery 2nd, Strangulation, and Offensive Touching.  In all, his total bond for all charges is $80,429.00 secured.  He is currently incarcerated at Sussex Correctional Institution.

Released: 060616 1115

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