Delaware State Police

Superintendent Colonel William D. Crotty

State Police Arrest Teen Following Pursuit in Stolen Vehicle

Date Posted: Wednesday, October 1st, 2025

Photograph of a firearm, ammunition, and illegal narcotics which are displayed on a table.

Delaware State Police arrested a 17-year-old male of Wilmington, Delaware, on multiple gun and drug charges after leading troopers on a vehicle pursuit in Wilmington on Monday.

On September 29, 2025, at approximately 1:00 p.m., members of the Delaware State Police Highway Safety Unit (HSU) saw a Kia Sportage traveling northbound on South Walnut Street, near Rogers Road. A computer check revealed the Kia had been reported stolen out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When troopers attempted a traffic stop, the driver refused to stop and continued northbound.

The suspect committed multiple traffic violations, including running red lights and speeding through several streets in the City of Wilmington, before merging onto I-95 southbound toward Newark. For the safety of the public, troopers discontinued the pursuit.

The Delaware State Police Aviation Section kept the Kia in sight from above. A short time later, the vehicle crashed in a private parking lot near North College Avenue and West Cleveland Avenue in Newark. After crashing, the driver fled on foot, discarding a loaded handgun and magazine during the chase. Troopers were made aware of his location and took him into custody on East Cleveland Avenue without further incident.

A search of the suspect revealed approximately 50.7 grams of suspected marijuana and 2.77 grams of suspected crack cocaine. The recovered handgun did not have a serial number and was determined to be untraceable.

The teenager, who has prior felony convictions, was taken to Troop 2, where he was charged with the following crimes:

Possession of Ammunition for a Firearm by a Person Under 21 (Felony)
Possession of an Undetectable Firearm (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm if Previously Convicted of a Violent Felony (Felony)
Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon (Felony)
Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal (Felony)
Possession of an Untraceable Firearm (Felony)
Receiving Stolen Property (Felony)
Possession of Marijuana Other Than a Personal Use Quantity
Resisting Arrest
Possession of a Controlled Substance
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Criminal Mischief
Other Related Traffic Offenses

He was arraigned by the New Castle County Family Court and committed to the Department of Services for Children, Youth, & Their Families on a $125,500 Cash Bond.