Delaware State Police

Superintendent Colonel Melissa Zebley

Update- Suspect Arrested Detectives Investigating Wilmington Area Family Dollar Shoplifting Turned Robbery

Date Posted: Friday, April 5th, 2024

Delaware State Police arrested 54-year-old Mark Coney of Wilmington, Delaware, for a shoplifting turned robbery that occurred Tuesday afternoon at a Wilmington area Family Dollar.

On April 2, 2024, at approximately 12:45 p.m., troopers responded to the Family Dollar located at 1311 Newport Gap Pike, Wilmington, for a report of a robbery. The preliminary investigation revealed an unknown black male suspect was confronted by Family Dollar employees for concealing items in his jacket. The suspect became aggressive, and a physical altercation ensued before the suspect fled from the store. Once outside, the suspect retrieved a baseball bat from his black four-door sedan and reapproached the store. He then threatened employees with the bat and placed it between the front doors to prevent employees from closing them. After the employees were able to close and lock the front doors, the suspect fled in his sedan in an unknown direction.

Through investigative means, Delaware State Police Troop 2 Robbery Detectives developed Mark Coney as the suspect involved in the robbery and identified the suspect vehicle as a black Chevrolet four-door sedan. On April 4, 2024, detectives observed Coney operating the Chevrolet in Wilmington, and conducted a traffic stop. Coney was subsequently taken into custody without incident and transported to Troop 2. Coney was charged with the offenses listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $32,000 cash bond.