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…