Wilmington, DE – A 14-year-old Newark boy has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery at a Wilmington shopping center last month, according to Delaware State Police.
According to investigators, troopers responded at approximately 5 p.m. on June 29, 2026, to a reported armed robbery in the 3100 block of Kirkwood Highway. Police said the victim was walking through the shopping center parking lot selling candy when an unknown suspect allegedly approached and demanded the victim’s property.
Authorities said when the victim initially refused, the suspect allegedly displayed a handgun. The victim then surrendered the property, and the suspect fled the scene. Police said the victim was not injured during the incident.
The Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit assumed the investigation and later identified a 14-year-old male from Newark as the suspect. Detectives also determined the juvenile was living at a hotel in the 1100 block of South College Avenue in Newark and was on probation following a 2025 felony adjudication involving a stolen motor vehicle investigation.
According to police, detectives executed a search warrant at the hotel room on July 23, 2026, taking the teen into custody without incident. Investigators said they recovered a loaded handgun and additional evidence they allege links the juvenile to the robbery.
The teen was charged in New Castle County Family Court with first-degree robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a prohibited adjudicated delinquent, and carrying a concealed deadly weapon, all felony offenses.
The juvenile was committed to the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families on a $120,000 cash bond.
Because the suspect is a juvenile, Delaware State Police did not release the teen’s name. The charges are allegations, and the juvenile is presumed innocent unless proven responsible in court.
