Violent Crimes Rise In Dewey Beach

Three armed robberies, two rapes since Memorial Day

Dewey Beach Police have responded to three armed robberies since Memorial Day weekend. While minor crime in a resort town is anticipated, Dewey Beach Police Sgt. Cliff Dempsey said the sharp rise in violent crime is unusual.

“I don’t even know how many felony assaults we’ve had,” he said. “I’ve lost track.” He added that two rapes were reported since Memorial Day.

Dempsey said all cases appeared to be crimes of opportunity – street robberies committed without premeditation, where the victim is either alone, intoxicated or both.

The first occurred at 4:30 a.m., May 25, when a man strolling Dagsworthy Avenue bayside was approached by two black men and asked if he wanted to buy crack cocaine. When he refused, one of the men pulled a black semiautomatic pistol.

“Do you want to die tonight?” he asked the victim.

After initially resisting, the victim gave up his wallet, losing $70 cash. After taking his money, the two men ordered him to run, chasing him for a block before disappearing. Dispatcher Stephen Parsons said the two suspects remain at large.

The second happened two weeks later, June 4. At 3:45 a.m., a seasonal officer was flagged down by a 26-year-old Wilmington man on Rodney Street. His friend had been beaten badly and robbed of $200 and a gold necklace. At 26C Rodney St., police found the second victim beaten with a head injury.

After an ambulance transported him to Beebe Medical Center, the first victim told police that his friend had fallen asleep in his car after a party. He was dragged out and assaulted by a trio of men, two wearing white shirts and one wearing red. When the first victim tried to stop the attack, one of the assailants told him to give up his money, claiming to have a burner, street slang for pistol. The first victim gave up all $4 in his wallet, and the trio fled.

Shortly after, Dewey Beach Police intercepted two white-shirted suspects on the dunes at Rodney Avenue. The first victim identified Michael Albanese and Brandon Knightly, both of Newark, as two of the assailants. They were each charged with two counts of robbery, a class-D felony, one count of first-degree conspiracy and an array of misdemeanor charges. Each was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution at $90,000 cash bond. Parsons said the third suspect remains at large.
Dempsey said another robbery occurred on the morning of June 11. Details were unavailable at press time.

Dempsey said he responded to an attempted robbery at 12:30 a.m., Saturday, June 13, in the Tree Tops community, north of Swedes Street. The victim, a Tree Tops resident, was lured by a woman to a nearby property with the promise of sex. When they neared the property, the woman made a cell phone call, and a 6-foot-tall black man wearing jeans and a polo shirt advanced from the bushes. The victim fled to his residence and called police.

“This guy was sincere. He was sweating; he was worked up,” Dempsey said. “We’ve had a lot of violent crime,” said Dempsey. “I don’t know what to attribute it to. We haven’t changed our patrol tactics.”

By Rob Kunzig | Cape Gazette