Driver sought after crashing stolen car near Rehoboth
Police are searching for a man they say crashed a stolen car Feb. 13 near Rehoboth Beach, then fled.
A trooper spotted a tan 2008 Chevrolet Malibu at 11:08 p.m., heading south on Route 1 near Dartmouth Drive; the car had been reported stolen earlier in the day, said Sr. Cpl. Leonard DeMalto of the Delaware State Police.
The trooper followed the car and tried to stop it, DeMalto said, but the driver accelerated into the parking lot of the Hampton Inn, 18826 Coastal Hwy., near Rehoboth Beach. After the driver crashed into an unoccupied parked car, three occupants fled on foot, DeMalto said. The Delaware State Police Aviation Unit searched the surrounding areas and found the two passengers hiding in a yard in the Maplewood development.
Both passengers – 17-year-old males from Ellendale – were taken to Troop 7 and charged with resisting arrest. They were arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 3; one teen was turned over to a legal guardian, while the other was committed to Stevenson House Detention Center in default of $1,000 secured bond.
The driver was not located and has not been identified. Troopers ask anyone who can identify the driver to contact Cpl. K. Koff at 302-703-3347. Information may also be sent by private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
