NEW CASTLE, DE – Delaware State Police arrested 38-year-old Ajeenah Hopes of Newark for firearm possession and endangering welfare offenses following a welfare check at a New Castle bar.
The incident unfolded on January 1, 2024, around 12:33 AM. Troopers were dispatched to Pockets Bar, located at 315 S. Dupont Highway in New Castle, after reports of children left unattended in a van for hours in the bar’s parking lot.
Upon arrival, officers found the children in the vehicle and soon located their mother, Ajeenah Hopes, in the parking lot. Signs of intoxication were observed, and Hopes was detained. A subsequent search revealed a concealed firearm in her purse. A computer check confirmed Hopes does not possess a concealed carry permit.
Hopes was transported to Troop 2, where she faced several charges. After arraignment by the Justice of the Peace Court 11, she was committed to Delores J. Baylor Correctional Institution on a $12,501 cash bond.