LAUREL — Delaware State Police investigated separate Sussex County homicides Thursday and arrested a 25-year-old Laurel man in one incident after his mother apparently died of upper body trauma at her residence.

Dukinson Appolon was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a deadly weapon, authorities said, after the death of Yolande Georges, 61, in the unit block of West Sixth Street in Laurel.

Dukinson Appolon

In Bridgeville, a 35-year-old man was shot and killed at a residence in the 2000 block of Conrail Road. Later in the day, police said. Troopers were called to a shots-fired report at the same residence.

In the first case, Laurel Police Department was dispatched to a welfare check and found Ms. Georges dead at approximately 1:31 p.m.

On Friday at about 8:39 a.m., a trooper responded to a suspicious person complaint on Bacons Road west of Bi-State Boulevard in Delmar, police said. The person, later identified as Mr. Appolon, was reported walking in the middle of the road acting in a suspicious manner, according to authorities.

During contact, police said Mr. Dukinson attempted to cause physical harm to himself which caused the trooper to deploy his divisional-issued Taser. The trooper gained control and took Mr. Appolon into custody, police said.

Authorities said it was found Mr. Dukinson lived upstairs from his mother.

Mr. Appolon was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 2 in Rehoboth Beach and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown without bail.

The Bridgeville case

In the second case, police said James F. Dickerson, a guest at a home south of Bridgeville, died after a gunshot wound to the head.

Police received a report around 12:41 a.m. Thursday that people had broken into the house before shots were fired, police said.

Sussex County Paramedics arrived shortly afterward, police said, and Mr. Dickerson was pronounced dead at the scene.

Later that day, shots reportedly were fired at approximately 9:55 p.m. at the house. Authorities said a 911 call was placed and a 53-year-old female said she and her 63-year-old boyfriend were in a back bedroom when they heard sounds of gunfire outside.

The woman said she immediately got up and shut her bedroom door and called 911, police said.

Further investigation revealed a separate bedroom window located in the front of the house had been shot out but the room was unoccupied at the time. A 46-year-old male was also in the house as the time, but was sleeping in a separate room, according to authorities.

Troopers were assisted by Bridgeville and Seaford police who searched the area for any potential suspects or vehicles in the area. None were located.

Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective J. King at (302) 698-8561. Information also may be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333, online at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.”