Rehoboth woman arrested after fighting with police
Carmen Blackwell, 34, of West Rehoboth, is facing six charges as a result of a confrontation she provoked with police. Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said troopers were dispatched to Coolspring Community Center shortly after midnight, Sunday, June 28, for a fight in progress.

When they arrived, people were exiting the area in their vehicles. As they did so, troopers made several traffic stops. Troopers had stopped one vehicle and taken two people into custody when Blackwell approached the group and placed a cigarette in the mouth of one of the handcuffed suspects. Newton said police ordered Blackwell to leave three times, but she refused to do so. A trooper then attempted to take Blackwell into custody.

“Keep in mind this is a dangerous situation,” said Newton. “The troopers already had two people detained for an investigation, and now Ms. Blackwell enters and you have a third party interacting in a situation that is not yet stabilized.” The troopers managed to get cuffs on Blackwell, who continued to resist and who attempted to kick troopers as they placed her in a patrol car.

“The trooper reported she became violent and was out of control when they arrived at Troop 7,” said Newton. “Because of her actions, whe was placed in a restraint chair designed to detain and control someone who is seated and handcuffed. It took five troopers to get Ms. Blackwell secured to the restraint chair.”

Newton said that because of Blackwell’s small stature, she was able to manipulate her body to get the cuffs in front of her and escape from the chair while troopers were processing other suspects.Once Blackwell was out of the chair, she pulled down her underwear and urinated on the floor, said Newton.

Police regained control of her and charged her with resisting arrest, failure to comply with pictures and fingerprints, third-degree escape, disorderly conduct, refusal to disperse and indecent exposure. She was remanded to the custody of the Department of Correction in default of $2,250 bond, pending further court action.

Persistence results in burglary arrest
State police finally got their man Sunday, June 28, after a second day of pursuit. Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said a moped was reported stolen from a garage on Basin Road June 25. Two days later, a trooper was on routine patrol and spotted a moped traveling eastbound, east of Love Creek. The officer ran the tag, but there was a brief computer delay, so it was a few minutes before he learned the moped was listed as stolen.

The trooper turned around and activated emergency equipment and started pursuing the moped, which had continued on Route 24. When the driver of the moped saw the trooper, he ran a red light at Plantation Road and turned right onto it, then turned onto to Dry Brook Road in a private development. There he drove through a yard, and passed some trees, at which point the trooper lost sight of the moped and stopped the pursuit.

The next day, just after 11 a.m., a trooper saw a moped in the parking lot at Food Lion in Rehoboth Beach. The trooper saw the moped cross a grassy area and drive into Rehoboth Shores. The trooper then drove into the development, where he saw the operator dump the moped and flee on foot. The moped was damaged when it was dumped.

Newton said that approximately 15 minutes later, another trooper saw the suspect – Richard M. Talbot, 23, of Milton – walking in Rehoboth Shores. When the trooper ordered Talbot to stop, he fled. The trooper exited his vehicle and pursued Talbot on foot, apprehending him a short time later.

Police charged Talbot with second-degree burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, reckless driving, failure to drive in the proper lane, failure to signal, failure to stop at a stop sign and failure to yield the right of way. Because the traffic-related charges were part of a police pursuit, they are felony charges, explained Newton. Talbot was remanded to Sussex Correctional Institution in default of $2,850 bond, pending further court action.

OHS launches DUI arrest campaign
The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is launching the 8th annual Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Checkpoint Strikeforce is a regional sobriety checkpoint campaign aimed at arresting DUI offenders, and using high visibility enforcement to deter those who would otherwise choose to drink and drive.
Ninety-eight sobriety checkpoints are scheduled to take place over the next six months, with six of them set to occur the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Currently, alcohol-related fatalities are down significantly in Delaware, said Andrea Summers, Office of Highway Safety community relations officer.
Seventeen percent of this year’s fatal crashes have been alcohol-related, compared to 49 percent this time last year.
Alcohol involvement is also suspected to have been a factor in two of last weekend’s four fatal crashes.

Milton police make burglary arrest
Milton police arrested George A. Schroeder, 38, of Lincoln, for third-degree burglary, felony criminal mischief and theft. Police said officers were dispatched to Milton Quick Stop early June 25 for an alarm.
When they arrived, officers discovered someone had forced entry into the store and stolen cash and cigarettes.
Investigators were able to link Schroeder to the crimes, obtain warrants and take Schroeder into custody on a traffic stop Tuesday, June 30. He was released on $3,500 unsecured bond, pending further court action.

Fire marshals make arson arrest
The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office arrested Patricia Belfield Tuesday, June 30, for second-degree burglary and second-degree arson for the mobile home fire that occurred June 12, on Lucas Street in Milton. Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Randall W. Lee said the fire that caused approximately $2,000 in damage was started in the living room and hallway area.
Belfield, 46, of Milton, was released on $5,000 unsecured bond, pending further court action.

Police seek help finding motorcycles
Two motorcycles were stolen from in front of a residence on East Atlantic Circle near Rehoboth Beach between 2 and 3:20 p.m., June 24. Police are asking the public to keep a lookout for a 2006 silver-and-white Suzuki with Delaware motorcycle tag 12715 and a 2006 red, gray and black Suzuki motorcycle with Maryland tag OD4935.
Police are asking anyone who spots either of the motorcycles to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333.

Michael Jackson’s death leads to stop
A Lewes police officer stopped to assist what he thought was a vehicle in distress but learned the passenger was distressed. Police said the officer pulled over on Savannah Road at about 8:30 p.m., June 25, to offer assistance to a vehicle with Quebec tags that was parked on the side of the road.
When the officer approached the driver, he learned there was no problem with the vehicle, but the driver’s girlfriend was overcome by grief at having just learned Michael Jackson had died.

The body of Oliver Shockley, a 34-year-old Milford man, washed up south of Prospect Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. A passerby spotted the corpse at 12:30 a.m., Thursday, June 25, when the tide was halfway between high and low.

Delaware State Police Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said Shockley was fully clothed and lacking identification. The word “evil” was tattooed on his left forearm, with a red strikethrough.

He was transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the time and manner of death. Newton said while there were no obvious wounds or evidence of blunt trauma, immersion in water can make signs of foul play difficult to distinguish.

“We can’t tell,” he said. “Sometimes the water may make it appear like there’s trauma, or it may lessen that appearance.”

Aspen Meadows home burglarized
State police are investigating a burglary that occurred sometime between 9 a.m., June 8 and 6 p.m., June 14, at a home on Elk Camp Road in Aspen Meadows. Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said the burglar took electronic items, DVD games and accessories, a flat-screen TV and jewelry valued at approximately $3,600. To report information, call Troop 7 at 644-5020.

High-speed chase ends with crash in cemetery
No one was injured when a homeless man ended a high-speed chase by crashing his Mini Cooper in a cemetery. Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said a trooper was parked at a business on northbound Route 1 at approximately 1 a.m., June 17, when he heard what sounded like a car engine revving. The trooper then saw a red Mini Cooper traveling 60 mph southbound on Route 1.
The trooper activated emergency equipment and started to follow the car, which was next clocked at 65 mph. As the trooper followed the car, the Mini Cooper sped up to 80 mph before suddenly braking at the Lighthouse Plaza and moving onto the shoulder of the road. Newton said the suspect kept driving into the parking lot at about 5 mph but eventually stopped.
When he did, the trooper exited the patrol car and approached the Mini Cooper, at which time the car engine revved and moved forward, away from the trooper. The trooper then got back in his patrol car and followed the Mini Cooper out of the parking lot to Seaside Boulevard, onto Munchy Branch Road and then Parsonage Road, all the while running stop signs, said Newton.
The Mini Cooper then pulled back onto Route 1 northbound and reached a speed of 90 mph before turning onto Wolfe Neck Road. As the car made the turn, the vehicle struck a curb at such a high rate of speed that the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed in the cemetery.
The trooper then took the driver into custody. Police charged Mark E. Stansberry, 41, who appears to be a homeless man who lives in the Rehoboth Beach area, with felony resisting arrest, disregarding a police officer’s signal, DUI, aggressive driving and numerous traffic charges. Police also learned there were two outstanding warrants for Stansberry in New Castle County. Stansberry was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in default of bond, pending further court action.

New York man charged for burglaries
A detective at Delaware State Police Troop 4 solved three burglary cases and arrested a man who was harboring a 14-year-old runaway from New York.
Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said the case broke June 16, when a resident in Bookhammer Estates saw a suspicious person and called police. The witness told police she was in her yard on Winifred Way when she saw a black Mitsubishi Eclipse with New York tags drive slowly past. When the car got to the end of the road, it turned around and parked in a driveway at an unoccupied home.
A man wearing a zipped hooded sweat shirt, long shorts and a baseball cap exited the vehicle and looked inside the windows of the home. The man also went around to the rear of the home, where police later discovered someone had attempted to force entry through sliding glass doors.
The neighbor spoke to the driver, who said he was looking for a dog, said police. The driver then left the development. The neighbor reported the tag number to police, but it turned out to be a bad tag. A Troop 4 detective, however, was able to figure out the correct tag number and contacted police in Wayne County, New York. Wayne County police advised the detective that the driver of the vehicle may have a 14-year-old runaway girl with him.
The next day, the detective visited a pawnshop in Georgetown, where he learned a man who pawned a TV had been driving a black Mitsubishi Eclipse with New York tags. At that point, Delaware State Police issued an alert so law enforcement officers would be on the lookout for the vehicle.
Newton said that on June 18, a Department of Correction Probation & Parole officer spotted the vehicle on Route 9 and followed it to an antique store on Route 1 just south of Cave Neck Road. Police then arrived and took Anthony Padeletti, 26, of Rochester, N.Y., into custody.
While searching the vehicle, police found 4.7 grams of marijuana, a pipe and items the Wayne County police had advised the Troop 4 detective were reported stolen in two separate burglaries they were investigating. Police also took the 14-year-old girl into custody at that time.
During the course of the investigation, the detective linked Padeletti with two burglaries in the Cape Region as well as to the attempted burglary at the home on Winifred Way. For that attempted burglary, police charged Padeletti with attempted burglary, possession of burglar tools and criminal mischief. Police also added the charges of receiving stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree conspiracy.
As the investigation continued, the detective linked Padeletti to a burglary in Ocean Breeze that also occurred on June 16. The detective added the following charges Tuesday, June 23, for that crime: second-degree burglary, theft, theft by false pretense – for pawning a TV from the burglary, and criminal mischief. The detective added another count of second-degree burglary for a June 16 crime in which someone broke into a home on Wil King Road but nothing was stolen. The last charge was added Thursday, June 25, when police added theft by false pretense to Padelleti’s list of charges for pawning jewelry stolen at the Ocean Breeze home. Padeletti was remanded to Sussex Correctional Institution in default of bond, pending further court action.
The 14-year-old girl was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and third-degree conspiracy. She will be returned to New York.

Tool encourages witness testimony
The Delaware Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday, June 18, that it will now be easier to secure witness testimony under legislation drafted by the Delaware Department of Justice and signed into law June 16, by Gov. Jack Markell. This new law provides incentives for those with information to offer testimony during a criminal investigation and trial.
“Witness testimony is often a critical element in solving crimes and obtaining convictions,” said state prosecutor Richard Andrews. “This new law gives prosecutors new tools to secure testimony and evidence from witnesses and others so that we can hold offenders accountable.”
House Bill 109 allows the Attorney General’s Office to seek to modify, reduce or suspend the sentence - including a minimum mandatory sentence - of a person convicted of a state crime who provides substantial assistance in the identification, arrest or prosecution of another person for state or federal offenses. The new statute replaces a substantial-assistance provision that was limited to drug-trafficking offenses.
This legislation was sponsored by Rep. John L. “Larry” Mitchell Jr., D-Elsmere, and co-sponsored by Sen. Brian J. Bushweller, D-Dover.

Bethany police chief honored for years of service
Rep. Gerald W. Hocker, R-Ocean View, presented Bethany Beach Police Chief Michael Redmon with a House of Representatives Tribute for his 20-plus years of service to the department. Hocker made the presentation Wednesday, June 24. “It is truly an honor to have served the residents and visitors of Bethany Beach for more than two decades,” Redmon said. Having started his law enforcement career in the late 1980s after graduating from the Delaware State Police Academy, Redmon has been assigned to several specialized units of law enforcement. “I especially enjoyed the K-9 Unit, which I was assigned to from 1992 to 1995,” said Redmon. Since 2001 Redmon has served as chief of the police department, which earned Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies accreditation in 2008.

06/23

Dagsboro teen dies in Millsboro crash
The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a crash that claimed the life of Shauna R. Kaufman, 17, of Dagsboro. Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said Shauna was driving a 1998 Volvo S70 at 4:15 p.m., Thursday June 18, south on Gravel Hill Road, approximately a mile south of Johnson Road, five miles north of Millsboro. She was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed when her vehicle entered a right curve in the roadway and began to rotate clockwise on a wet roadway. As the Volvo traveled off the southbound edge of the roadway, it continued to spin, exposing the driver’s side door as the car struck a utility pole.

Newton said Shauna was trapped in the vehicle and was later pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators have not yet determined whether seat belts were used or if alcohol is suspected. Witnesses reported Shauna was driving very aggressively prior to the crash.

Dewey officer cited for minor crash
A Dewey Beach police officer was cited for careless driving after crashing a patrol vehicle at approximately 6:15 p.m., Saturday, June 20. Cpl. Andrea Boone, state police spokeswoman, said Rebecca Fluharty, 32, of Lewes, was operating a 2007 Mercury Mountaineer eastbound on Route 9. Dewey Beach Patrolman Kristen Evick, 36, of Seaford, was on her way to work and driving a fully marked 2007 Ford Crown Victoria, directly behind the Mountaineer.

Traffic was stopped in front of the Mountaineer for a red light. Fluharty was slowing to a stop when Evick attempted to stop to avoid the Mountaineer but slid on the wet roadway, causing the front driver’s side of the Crown Victoria to collide with the rear passenger side of the Mountaineer. The Mountaineer was driven from the roadway into a nearby parking lot. The patrol car continued off of the right edge of the roadway, struck a directional sign then came to rest in a ditch. Both operators were seat belted and no injuries were reported. Alcohol is not a factor in this crash.

Evick has been with the Dewey Beach Police Department for one year.

Police seek help finding vandalism suspects
Delaware State Police are seeking help from the community to identify and locate two white males who have repeatedly vandalized property in Red Mill Farms. State police spokesman Sgt. Walter Newton said numerous acts of mischief have occurred since Nov. 1. A house has been damaged by baseball bats and BB guns, he said. A surveillance system captured images of two men damaging the property. Police are asking anyone with information to call Cpl. Michelle Mullins at 644-5020.

Burglar strikes Aspen Meadows home
State police are investigating a burglary that occurred sometime between 9 a.m., June 8 and 6 p.m., Sunday, June 14, at a home on Elk Camp Road in Aspen Meadows. Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said the burglar took electronic items, DVD games and accessories, a flat-screen TV and jewelry valued at approximately $3,600. To report information, call Troop 7 at 644-5020.

Police find abducted child in Maryland
Police from Greenbelt, Md., located a child who was abducted by her father when he violated a court order June 11, and took his daughter from Eagle’s Nest Day Care near Milton. Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said John David Stringfellow, 36, Salisbury, Md., went to the day-care center at approximately 10:50 a.m. and took his 3-year-old daughter.

Day-care workers attempted to reason with him and asked him not to take the girl, but he took his daughter anyway.When they arrived, troopers were given a Family Court order indicating Springfellow was not permitted to have visitation with his daughter during the time he removed her from day care.

Delaware State Police were assisted by the Maryland State Police in checking Stringfellow’s residence in Salisbury, but did not find Stringfellow or the child. Greenbelt police checked a home in Prince George’s County, Md., at approximately 8 p.m., at which time they located the toddler and her father, said Newton.

The child was unharmed, and Stringfellow is facing extradition back to Delaware for interference with custody of a child across state lines. When he is back in Delaware, Stringfellow will be brought before Family Court for violating the court order. After the incident Family Court issued an emergency order giving full custody to the girl’s mother.

Rehoboth police arrest man for felony theft
Rehoboth Beach police arrested Joseph K. Pyle June 11, for five counts of unlawful use of a credit card after police learned he stole approximately $9,000 from his former employers. Court records show Pyle was employed at Bad Hair Day? when he allegedly used a company credit card to rent a vehicle for personal use beginning in December 2008 and for several months afterward.

Jones said Pyle’s rental-car bill rose to $7,300, but he also used the credit card to post $1,800 in bail for an unrelated arrest in early May. “Pyle was able to conceal his actions by virtue of his position in management until an accountant noticed the irregularity,” said Jones. Pyle, 24, of Rehoboth Beach, was released on a $5,000. unsecured bail.

Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said the robbery occurred at approximately 10:50 p.m., Tuesday, June 16, at a home on Canal Court in Canal Landing. The burglary occurred at approximately 11:15 p.m. the next night.

Newton said that in the first crime a woman pulled into her driveway, and as she parked the car, two males immediately confronted her. One of the men was brandishing a handgun and forced her to exit the car and enter her home.

Once inside, the two suspects escorted the victim through her residence while they searched for jewelry and money. They took her purse, some electronic devices and other property, forced the victim into the garage and fled.

During the next incident, a male victim left his residence on Canal Court for a brief time. When he returned, said Newton, the victim saw a male wearing a dark-colored hoodie fleeing from the rear of the home. The victim told police the suspect had removed pillow cases, and numerous electronic items were missing from the home. The property was left at the scene when the suspect fled.

Troopers are trying to determine whether the cases are linked. One of the suspects may have been between 5-feet-6- and 5-feet-9-inches tall, said Newton.

Neither victim was injured. Police are asking anyone with information to call Det. Rex Mears at 856-5850, Ext. 255, or Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333.

Police arrest man driving crashed car through Lewes
Lewes police arrested Timothy W. O’Neil Friday, June 12, for eight traffic-related offenses after citizens alerted police a severely damaged vehicle was driving through town. Police said someone flagged down an officer near Beebe Medical Center at approximately 6 p.m. The citizen told the officer a Cadillac had just struck a mail truck parked at the post office satellite area on Savannah Road. The citizen saw the car continue driving west and turn right on Pilottown Road. The car had severe front-end damage, the airbags were deployed and the horn was blaring. Police tracked the vehicle down a short while later after it apparently reversed direction to head back toward Savannah Road. Police blocked the car’s path on Pilottown Road in front of the Little League facilities. Police said that when the officer approached O’Neil, he was attempting to exit the car and displayed signs of intoxication. The officer also detected the odor of alcohol.

Police charged O’Neil, 54, of Lewes, with failure to stop at a stop signal, inattentive driving, failure to report a collision involving alcohol or drugs, failure to provide information at a collision resulting in property damage, failure to have registration card in possession, failure to have insurance card in possession and operating an unsafe motor vehicle. Police had to lift the hood after stopping the car to shut the horn off. The front bumper fell when they opened the hood.

Fire damages home on Lucas Road in Milton
The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a mobile home fire that occurred at approximately 11 a.m., Friday, June 12, on Lucas Street, Milton.

When Milton Fire Department - assisted by the Lewes and Georgetown fire departments - responded to the scene, firefighters encountered smoke showing. Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Randall W. Lee said investigators determined the fire originated in the living room and hallway area of the home, but they are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Lee said the home was equipped with working smoke detectors, and damages have been estimated at approximately $2,000. No one was injured. An American Red Cross of the Delmarva Peninsula disaster team met with the homeowner and provided temporary housing, food and clothing.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the fire to call 856-5600.

New Yorkers nabbed for shoplifting in outlets
An officer at Delaware State Police Troop 7 put a stop to a shopfliting spree Sunday, June 14, when he pulled over a vehicle for seat belt violations and discovered a considerable amount of stolen property.

Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh, state police spokesman, said the trooper pulled over a van with New York license plates driving on Route 1, north of Munchy Branch Road, because the front-seat passenger was not wearing a seat belt.

Whitmarsh said the driver of the vehicle was identified as Maria Cristina Gomez Reyes, and the passenger was identified as Juan Richardo Rayo Romero. Neither had a valid driver’s license, and the van was not properly insured.

While talking to the operator, the trooper noticed a large quantity of merchandise – mostly clothing - stored in double-lined plastic bags in the back of the van. Whitmarsh said the bag system the trooper found is a method used for concealing merchandise to defeat shoplifting sensors.

The officer continued investigating and determined the merchandise was stolen from 12 different stores in Tanger Outlets centers. The merchandise had an estimated value of almost $9,000.

Police arrested Juan Ricardo Rayo Romero, 32, of Queens, N.Y., and Maria Cristina Gomez Reyes, 52, of Corona, N.Y. Each was charged with nine counts of shoplifting, conspiracy, three counts of shoplifting and possession of shoplifting tools.

Reyes was also charged with driving without a license and no proof of insurance. She was committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution in default of $29,200 secured bond. Romero was committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution in default of $28,000 secured bond.

Woman arrested for stabbing boyfriend
A 28-year-old man is in stable condition after being treated for stab wounds in his throat. His girlfriend, Kendra West, is facing charges of first-degree assault, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony and failure to comply with fingerprinting and photos.

Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said troopers were dispatched at about 3 a.m., Tuesday, June 17, to a home on West Marina Drive in Angola by the Bay for a domestic assault complaint. When they arrived, they discovered West, 27, had allegedly stabbed her boyfriend in the throat with a large kitchen knife when the two were arguing.
The victim was rushed to Beebe Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery for an exterior jugular laceration.

After being charged, West was committed to the Department of Correction, pending a preliminary hearing in the Court of Common Pleas in and for Sussex County.

Bear man charged for vehicular assault
State police charged an 18-year-old Bear man with second-degree vehicular assault and DUI after he caused a crash that injured a senior citizen and himself. Sgt. Walter Newton, state police spokesman, said Mark Daniel McFadden was driving a 1993 Toyota Corolla northbound on Route 1, just south of Sussex 264, at approximately 10 a.m., June 10.

Newton said the Toyota crossed the median into the southbound lanes. A 70-year-old Milford man was driving a 2002 Buick LeSabre southbound on Route 1, and the Toyota struck it head on. Both cars traveled off the roadway into a ditch on the western edge of the road.

McFadden and the victim were properly restrained in their vehicles, and the air bags deployed in both cars. The victim was treated at Beebe Medical Center for cervical strain, and McFadden was treated for a bruised spleen. After being charged, McFadden was released on $1,500 unsecured bond, pending further court action.