Delaware State Police

Superintendent Colonel William Crotty

State Police Arrest Man for Series of Shopliftings in New Castle County

Date Posted: Thursday, September 19th, 2024

News Release

Delaware State Police arrested 25-year-old Purcell Hocker-Osborne of Wilmington, Delaware, for several shoplifting offenses following a series of thefts predominantly from Home Depot locations in New Castle County that spanned a little over a month.

Between August 11, 2024, and September 14, 2024, troopers investigated several shopliftings of a similar nature from New Castle County area Home Depot stores. In each shoplifting, a black male suspect took various power tools and left the business without paying. Through investigative means, troopers identified Purcell Hocker-Osborne as the suspect responsible for 9 shopliftings from multiple Home Depot locations in New Castle County that totaled over $16,900 worth of stolen merchandise. In several of the Home Depot shopliftings, Hocker-Osborne shoplifted with unknown coconspirators. After each incident, troopers obtained a warrant for Hocker-Osborne’s arrest and attempted to locate him.

On September 14, 2024, at approximately 8:15 p.m., troopers responded to the Best Buy, located at 4807 Concord Pike, Wilmington, for a report of a shoplifting. While responding, troopers learned an unknown black male with shoulder-length dreadlocks fled from the store with unpaid merchandise in a shopping cart and was last seen walking toward the Days Inn. Upon arriving in the area, a trooper observed a black male, who matched the description of the suspect, in the rear parking lot of the Days Inn placing merchandise from a Best Buy shopping cart into a blue Hyundai Sonata. As the trooper approached, the suspect got into the rear seat of the sedan, and it began pulling away. The Hyundai quickly came to a stop after the trooper initiated a traffic stop, at which point, the suspect ran out of the sedan and fled toward Concord Pike. The suspect was grazed by a passing vehicle as he ran into oncoming traffic on Concord Pike. The suspect continued to flee after the impact and was ultimately taken into custody without incident after a brief foot pursuit. The suspect, identified as Hocker-Osborne, was taken to an area hospital for evaluation despite denying any injuries. The stolen merchandise from Best Buy, valued at approximately $949, was recovered from the Hyundai and returned to the store.

After Hocker-Osborne was discharged from the hospital, he was taken to Troop 1, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 11, and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $22,575 secured bond.