NEW CASTLE, DE — A 13-year-old male from Wilmington has been arrested and charged with several felony offenses following an alleged attempted vehicle theft and assault that occurred Tuesday afternoon at the parking lot of Harry O. Eisenberg Elementary School in New Castle.
Delaware State Police responded to the school on Landers Lane shortly before 5 p.m. on July 22 after receiving a report of a physical altercation. Upon arrival, troopers learned that a 64-year-old man had returned to his Ford Transit van and discovered a group of three to four teenage males inside the vehicle. When the man confronted the suspects, they reportedly fled on foot.
According to police, one of the fleeing teens — later identified as the 13-year-old — allegedly pointed an orange flare gun at the victim. The man pursued the suspect and was allegedly struck during the encounter before successfully detaining the juvenile. Responding troopers took the teen into custody without further incident and recovered the flare gun at the scene.
Investigators say the van’s driver-side door had been damaged and a screwdriver had been forced into the ignition, consistent with a method seen in recent nationwide vehicle theft trends. The remaining suspects have not yet been identified or located.
The juvenile was transported to Troop 2, where he was formally charged with the following offenses:
- Attempted Theft of a Motor Vehicle (Felony)
- Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
- Aggravated Menacing (Felony)
- Possession of Burglar Tools (Felony)
- Conspiracy 2nd Degree (Felony)
- Offensive Touching
- Criminal Mischief
He was arraigned in New Castle County Family Court and committed to the New Castle County Detention Center in lieu of a $26,200 cash bond.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident and urge anyone with information to contact Delaware State Police Troop 2 by calling (302) 834-2620 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
All suspects and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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