Dover-Weather forecasts currently indicate a winter storm that will impact the region beginning this evening and lasting into the next day. The possibilities of heavy snowfall, including a wintry mix, are the dangers with this storm. This type of weather pattern can create treacherous conditions for motorists who are traveling along Delaware roadways.

Troopers statewide continue to plan and prepare for the forecasted winter storm, as they will be ready and available to patrol, assist disabled vehicles, and manage roadway incidents and hazards for the duration of the event. Most calls for service received by Troopers during winter storms are for vehicle crashes, disabled vehicles, and abandoned vehicles which cause a major problem for DelDOT snow removal equipment and for Troopers responding to emergency situations. Troopers strongly encourage motorists to postpone and avoid unnecessary travel.

Troopers urge all motorists who must travel to use extreme caution as road and weather conditions may change rapidly over the course of the event. Motorists should be prepared for snow-covered and slippery roads, along with strong winds and limited visibility which make driving conditions difficult. Use caution while driving when approaching intersections and off ramps, especially bridges and overpasses. Remember to reduce speed and increase following distance between vehicles. Allow ample time to reach your destination, allow extra space between vehicles, and keep vehicle headlights on to increase visibility.

This would be an excellent time to check your vehicle ensuring it is in good working order for the expected conditions. Fill up the fuel tank in advance. Check the windshield wipers, windshield wiper fluid, tire tread, battery life, etc. If you should have vehicle problems, be sure to stay with your vehicle, as freezing temperatures can be life-threatening. Be sure to have an emergency kit in the vehicle consisting of a blanket, bottled water, snack, cell phone charger, and a flashlight

Presented by the Director of Public Information, Sergeant Richard Bratz

Released: 010318 1441

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Lewes- The Delaware State Police have arrested a Lewes woman after she was observed committing a traffic violation and found to be under the influence for the 5^th time,  and in possession of crack-cocaine.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:55 a.m. Tuesday, January 2, 2018 as a trooper observed a green Chevrolet Prizm go through a red traffic light at Sweetbriar Road and Lewes-Georgetown Highway.  A traffic stop was conducted and contact was made with the operator, identified as 60-year-old Lemonitra K. Hensley of Lewes.  Shortly there after, a DUI investigation ensued.   A computer check revealed Hensley had four previous DUI convictions making this arrest #5.

Hensley was transported back to Troop 7 in Lewes where it was discovered that she had 0.13 grams of crack-cocaine concealed in her sock.  Subsequently, she was charged with 5th Offense Driving Under the Influence, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Failure to Have Insurance Identification in Possession, Failure to have Registration Card in Possession and Failure to Stop at a Red Light.  She was arraigned out of Justice of the Peace Court 2 and released on $5700.00 unsecured bond.

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Presented by Public Information Officer Master Corporal Melissa Jaffe

Released: 010218 2028

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Dover- The Delaware State Police have arrested a Dover man after a traffic stop led to the discovery of a loaded handgun and illegal drugs.

The incident occurred at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Monday, January 1, 2018, as Troopers were on patrol in the area of Rodney Village and observed an equipment violation on a 2003 Tan Chevrolet Malibu traveling westbound on Charles Polk Road.  A traffic stop was then conducted and contact was made with the operator and occupants, identified as 24-year-old Caleb Ford of Frederica, 29-year-old Alicia Young of Dover, and 24-year-old Dasmen Fullman of Dover.  Observed in plain view by the Trooper was a plastic sandwich bag containing marijuana.  As the occupants were given instructions by the Trooper to exit the vehicle, Fullman failed to comply and began resisting.  As Fullman attempted to flee, he dropped a 9mm loaded handgun along with another loaded magazine containing nine 9mm rounds on the ground.  Subsequently, all three suspects were taken into custody and a search of the vehicle yielded  4.72 grams of marijuana.

Fullman was charged with Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony,  Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a person prohibited, Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, Resisting Arrest, Tampering with Physical Evidence, Offensive Touching, and Possession of Marijuana.  Fullman was arraigned out of Justice of The Peace Court 7 and committed to the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center on $45,000.00 cash bond.

Ford and Young were both arrested on active capiases unrelated to this incident.  They were not charged in reference to this case.

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Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Melissa Jaffe

Released: 010218 1937

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Dover – The Delaware State Police Canine Training Unit held a graduation ceremony for the 2017 Fall Patrol Certification class.  All of their hard work paid off with eight teams successfully completing three months of intense training with new K9’s. During the ceremony, Colonel Nathaniel McQueen Jr. recognized the graduating teams led by K9 handlers, Master Corporals Lenny Aguilar and Jeffrey Miller for their commitment and dedication.

The ceremony took place on Thursday, December 21, 2017 at the Delaware State Police Training Academy and included multiple agencies throughout the state. The graduating class consisted of eight new Patrol K9 teams comprised of five Delaware State Police teams, one Newark Police Department team, one Dover Police Department team, and one Laurel Police Department team.

The ceremony celebrated and recognized the successful completion of 12-14 weeks of various training methods including; obedience, confidence course, tracking, building searches, areas searches, suspect apprehension, and officer protection. In addition to the requirements set by the Delaware State Police Canine Unit, all the teams were trained to meet the standards of the Nation Police Canine Association. Also, in addition to the Patrol teams, three K9 teams were cross trained in Narcotics detection and are now Dual Purpose Patrol & Narcotics detection teams.

The graduation of the newest trained K9 handlers and their partners for the Fall Patrol Certification and the Dual Purpose Patrol & Narcotics Certification Classes include:

Fall Patrol Certification Teams:  Cpl/2 Todd Buchert & K9 Riddick-Troop 4, Cpl/2 Brian Page & K9 Rino-Troop 7, Cpl. Nick Ronzo & K9 Bane-Troop 2 GTF, TFC. Pete Irwin & K9 Chico-Troop 1, TFC. Ben Nefosky & K9 Mako-Troop 1, Cpl. Joe Kansak & K9 Havoc-Laurel PD, Cpl. Adam Stevens & K9 Varg-Newark PD, PFC. Brooks Ogden & K9 Zeus-Dover PD

Dual Purpose Patrol & Narcotics Certification Teams: Cpl. Chip Fidler and K9 Macho- Troop 4, Cpl. Eric Saccomanno and K9 Nuke-Troop 9, Cpl. Adam Stevens and K9 Varg- Newark PD.

Congratulations to each K9 Team!

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Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Melissa Jaffe

Released: 010218 1740

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Wilmington (19803) – Delaware State Police are investigating the robbery of a Fairfax area Walgreens that occurred last evening.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:23 p.m., Monday, January 1, 2018, at the Walgreens located at 2119 Concord Pike, Wilmington, as a white male subject, approached an employee at the sales counter, under the premise of making a purchase.

The suspect placed merchandise on the counter along with a hand written note, instructing the employee to place all the money from the register into a bag. The employee complied with the demand and turned over an undisclosed amount of cash to the suspect, who then fled on foot in to the parking lot. The employee was uninjured as a result of the incident.

The suspect is described as a white male, 20-30 years of age, 5’9”-5’11” tall, weighing 150-160 lbs., wearing a dark colored vest over a light colored long sleeve shirt and blue jeans, with a bandana covering his face.

No surveillance photos are available at this time.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Troop 2 Robbery Unit at 302-365-8566.

Information may also be provided by calling Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461).  You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@delaware.gov. 

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Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Michael Austin

Released: 010218 1406

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Bear – Delaware State Police are investigating the armed robbery of a Bear area Royal Farms that occurred New Year’s Day.

The incident occurred at approximately 4:46 a.m., Monday, January 1, 2018, at the Royal Farms, located at 1551 Pulaski Highway, Bear, as a black male subject, armed with an automatic weapon, approached an employee at the sales counter and demanded money from the register. The employee complied with the demand, turning over an undisclosed amount of cash to the suspect, who then fled on foot into the parking lot.

The suspect was described as black male, 17-22 years of age, 5’5”-6’0” tall, weighing 180 lbs., wearing a grey sweatshirt over a purple hoodie, with the hood pulled tight around his face and dark colored gloves. The employee was not injured as a result of the incident.

No surveillance photos are available at this time.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Troop 2 Robbery Unit at 302-365-8566. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461).  You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@delaware.gov. 

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Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Michael Austin

Released: 010218 1340

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Middletown – The Delaware State Police are investigating an armed robbery of a gas station that occurred Saturday evening.

The preliminary investigation has determined the incident occurred around 9:23 p.m. Saturday, December 30, 2017, as a male subject armed with a handgun entered the Valero Gas Station located at 4434 Summit Bridge Road. The suspect approached the clerk at the counter and demanded cash from the register. The employee complied with the suspect’s demands and the suspect was able to remove an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect fled the store in a four door, teal colored vehicle . The clerk was not injured as a result of this incident.

The suspect was described as a white male, thin build, wearing a dark colored mask, long sleeve jacket, gloves and armed with an unknown type of handgun.

No surveillance photos are available at this time.

If anyone has any information in reference to this incident they are asked to please contact Troop 2 Robbery Unit, at 302-365-8412 .  Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461).  You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@delaware.gov. 

Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Melissa Jaffe

Released: 010118 1647

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Wilmington (19803) – Delaware State Police are investigating the armed robbery of north Wilmington Gamestop store that occurred on New Years Eve.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:53 p.m., Sunday, December 31, 2017, at the Gamestop, located at 3612 Concord Pike, Wilmington, just prior to the store’s scheduled closing time of 7:00 p.m.

A subject entered the store, at which time he was greeted by an employee, a 22 year old New Castle man, who advised him the store was about to close. The subject browsed in the store briefly before approaching a second employee, a 26 year old Wilmington man, at the sales counter, and requested to make a purchase. The employee asked for payment, at which time the subject lifted his shirt, revealing a handgun that was tucked into his waistband. The subject then demanded all the money from the registers. The employee complied by placing an undisclosed amount of cash from two separate registers into a bag, before turning it over to the subject who then fled on foot into the parking lot. Neither employee was injured as a result of the incident.

The subject was described as a black male, 35 years of age, 5’11”-6’00”, 180-200 lbs., wearing a dark head covering, black hoodie, green pants and in possession of an unknown make and model handgun.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Troop 2 Robbery Unit at 302-365-8566.

Information may also be provided by calling Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461).  You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@delaware.gov. 

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Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Michael Austin

Released: 010118 1455

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Bridgeville– The Delaware State Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred in the Walkers Mill Mobile Home Park last evening.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:05 p.m., Sunday, December 31, 2017, at a residence located in the 11,000 block of Sixth Street.  Two suspects had approached the victim as he was seated in his vehicle that was parked in a driveway.  One suspect had approached and opened the drivers side door while displaying a handgun and demanding the victim turn over his cell phone and wallet.  A second suspect had approached the victim and began patting him down.  Once the suspects obtained the victim’s cell phone and wallet, they fled the scene in a vehicle.

Both suspects were described as Hispanic males, dark complexion, approximately 5’11” to 6’0″ tall, 180 lbs., wearing a dark color hooded sweatshirt with the hoods covering their faces.  The victim was not injured as a result of this incident.

The suspect vehicle was described as a four door, dark in color passenger vehicle.  Two other suspects remained in the vehicle during this incident.  No further information could be provided on the vehicle or the suspects at this time.

If anyone has any information in reference to this incident, they are asked to please contact the Troop 4 Major Crimes Unit at 302-856-5850 . Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461).  You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@delaware.gov. 

Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Melissa Jaffe

Released: 010118 0956

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Lincoln- The Delaware State Police are investigating a serious hit and run crash that has left a male pedestrian in critical condition last evening.

Preliminary investigation indicates the crash occurred on Sunday, December 31, 2017, at approximately 5:44 p.m. as a 21-year-old New Castle man was on northbound Dupont Boulevard (US 113) in the area of E. Hudson Pond Road.  An unknown vehicle was traveling northbound on US 113 and struck the pedestrian.  The striking vehicle stopped on the nearby shoulder briefly and then fled northbound on US 113.

The 21-year-old pedestrian sustained critical injuries and was removed from the scene by EMS.  He was initially transported to the Milford Memorial Hospital before being flown to the Christiana Hospital for further treatment.  Impairment appears to have been a contributing factor on the pedestrians behalf.

The striking vehicle is described as an unknown make and model that is maroon/red in color. The vehicle should have front end damage to the hood, bumper and lights. The vehicle is also missing a driver’s side mirror and may have a ruptured radiator.

Troopers continue to collect and analyze evidence at the scene to determine the make and model of the striking vehicle.

Northbound Dupont Boulevard (US 113) in the area of E. Hudson Pond Road was closed for approximately three hours while the crash was investigated and cleared.

The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into this incident.  They are attempting to locate the driver and vehicle that fled this crash and request anyone with information to please contact Sargent A. Mendez at 302-703-3269.  Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit/Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll free hotline 1800 VICTIM-1. (1800 842-8461). You may also email the unit Director at debra.reed@delaware.gov.

Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Melissa Jaffe

Released: 010118 0850

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