WILMINGTON — Delaware State Police arrested Devine Washington, 20, of Dover, for robbery and related charges after an incident Tuesday.
At approximately 4:40 p.m. in the area of Pike Creek Center Boulevard and Skyline Drive, a bicycle was taken from outside a Wawa, and a person was seen riding it by its 10-year-old male owner, DSP spokeswoman Cpl. Amina Ali said. The boy chased after the bike and picked up the cellphone of the operator when it dropped.
The suspect — later identified as Ms. Washington — was able to retrieve her phone but continued fleeing on the bicycle, police said.
A 38-year-old male witnessed the event as he was driving on Pike Creek Center Boulevard and stopped to intervene. He was able to de-escalate the altercation and helped the juvenile recover his bicycle.
As the man walked back to his vehicle, police said, Ms. Washington followed him and threatened him while reaching for her waistband and implying she had a weapon. Ms. Washington then entered the man’s SUV and put it in drive, Cpl. Ali said.
The man stopped the suspect before she was able to steal his vehicle. Subsequently, Ms. Washington knocked his cellphone from his hand, authorities said.
Ms. Washington was later taken into custody by troopers.
Charges against her included first-degree attempted robbery, second-degree robbery, criminal mischief, resisting arrest, malicious interference with emergency communications and menacing. She was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 2, Rehoboth Beach, and committed to Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution, New Castle, on a $46,300 cash bond.
