Four Arrested in New Castle County Break-In Spree Worth $170K

Delaware State Police have arrested four men connected to a series of break-ins at New Castle County businesses in January. The suspects allegedly stole a hotel van and used it to ram through garage doors, stealing approximately $170,000 worth of goods.

Delaware State Police have taken four men into custody following a series of break-ins across New Castle County that netted thieves approximately $170,000 in stolen merchandise. The suspects include 24-year-old Damon Hancock from Wilmington, 46-year-old Elwood Hunter from Smyrna, 34-year-old Jerree Richardson from Middletown, and 25-year-old Malik Winters from Claymont.

The crime spree began on January 7, 2026, when officers responded to a theft report at the Four Points by Sheraton located at 56 South Old Baltimore Pike in Newark. Investigators determined that around 1:00 a.m., someone had taken a Ford Transit van from the hotel’s parking area. Over the next several days, authorities say the four defendants utilized this stolen vehicle to break into two shipping businesses on Quigley Boulevard and Bellcor Drive in New Castle. Police report the group drove the Transit van directly through the garage entrances of both facilities, making off with roughly $169,000 in merchandise while causing about $14,000 in property damage. Investigators also discovered that Newport Police were looking into a comparable incident from January 9, 2026, in their area.

The Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit took over the case and discovered connections to a Honda sedan with Pennsylvania plates and a Chrysler minivan registered in Kentucky. Computer records revealed the Chrysler was a rental vehicle that Hunter had obtained. On January 14, 2026, Pennsylvania’s Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division found the stolen Ford Transit in Chester, Pennsylvania.

As detectives continued their work, another break-in occurred on January 18, 2026, around 12:40 a.m. on Caroll Drive in New Castle at yet another shipping company. The business owner told police that four individuals drove a white van through the entrance, taking about $1,000 in goods and causing roughly $5,000 in damage.

Though the perpetrators fled before officers arrived, a Newport Police Department officer soon spotted the white Ford Econoline van, which had been reported stolen from Pennsylvania. When the officer tried to pull over the vehicle, the driver refused to stop, leading to a chase that ended in Wilmington where all four occupants abandoned the van and ran. Working together with Newport and Wilmington Police, officers apprehended Hancock and Richardson without further incident.

Authorities brought Hancock to Troop 2, where he faced multiple charges before Justice of the Peace Court 11 and was sent to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution with a $67,000 cash bond. His charges include: Theft Where the Property Value is $100,000 or More (Felony), Wearing a Disguise During the Commission of a Felony (Felony) – 3 Counts, Burglary Third Degree (Felony) – 3 Counts, Possession of Burglar Tools (Felony) – 3 Counts, Theft $1500 or Greater (Felony), Attempted Theft $1500 or Greater (Felony), Theft of a Motor Vehicle (Felony), Criminal Mischief $5000 or More (Felony) – 3 Counts, Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony) – 4 Counts, and Theft Under $1500.

Richardson also went to Troop 2 for processing and received identical charges before being sent to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $75,000 cash bond.

Continued detective work identified Hunter and Winters as the other two suspects, prompting arrest warrants for both men.

Wilmington Police arrested Winters on February 25, 2026, for an unrelated issue, and he subsequently faced the same charges as Hancock and Richardson. Justice of the Peace Court 11 arraigned him before he was committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution with a $77,500 cash bond.

Two days later on February 27, 2026, state troopers arrested Hunter during a traffic stop in Wilmington. He received similar charges, was processed through Justice of the Peace Court 11, and was sent to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $97,000 cash bond. Hunter’s charges include: Theft Where the Property Value is $100,000 or More (Felony), Burglary Third Degree (Felony) – 3 Counts, Possession of Burglar Tools (Felony) – 2 Counts, Theft $1500 or Greater (Felony), Attempted Theft $1500 or Greater (Felony), Criminal Mischief $5000 or More (Felony) – 3 Counts, Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony) – 4 Counts, and Theft Under $1500.