REHOBOTH BEACH — A 72-year-old Milton man died from natural causes after being taken into custody on a warrant Wednesday, Delaware State Police spokeswoman Master Cpl. Heather Pepper said.
Authorities said Stanley Bradley was apprehended at approximately 10 a.m. at a bait-and-tackle shop at the Indian River Inlet. He was wanted in connection with second-degree rape and related charges involving a child, Cpl. Pepper said.
She said Mr. Bradley was very cooperative and taken into custody without incident. He was placed in the back of a DSP-issued Ford Taurus, with a detective also sitting in the back seat.
On the way to Troop 3, Camden, as the vehicle was traveling on Coastal Highway in the area of Johnson Road, Mr. Bradley requested that the driver pull over because he thought he was suffering from a medical event. The trooper immediately left the road, and both of the detectives exited the vehicle to check on Mr. Bradley, who was found unconscious, police said.
One of the detectives contacted 911 to request assistance, as the other began performing CPR, Cpl. Pepper said. Lifesaving measures were performed until the arrival of emergency medical services, who continued CPR while transporting Mr. Bradley to Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus, Milford.
Mr. Bradley was stabilized, then moved to Bayhealth Hospital, Kent Campus, Dover, where he died at approximately 6 p.m. An investigation determined that he had a long medical history and had been hospitalized multiple times during the last year for cardiac issues, police said.
The man’s body was turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science for an autopsy. On Thursday, the medical examiner ruled that Mr. Bradley died from natural causes, pending a toxicology examination.
Cpl. Pepper added that nothing suspicious nor signs of trauma were found during the investigation.
The case remains active by the Criminal Investigations Unit pending toxicology results.
