NEWARK, Del. – A 44-year-old Lewes man was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening a handicapped victim with a knife and stealing his car in a Newark parking lot, according to Delaware State Police.
The incident occurred at approximately 10:07 a.m. in the parking lot of Sonesta Suites on Chapman Road. The victim was sitting in his silver Hyundai Sonata when a man approached and offered help with his wheelchair. After the victim declined, the suspect briefly walked away before returning with a knife, ordering him out of the car.
As the victim attempted to call 911, the suspect allegedly chased him, again threatening him with the knife and demanding the keys. The victim complied, and the suspect fled in the stolen car. The victim was unharmed.
Troopers located the Sonata nearby and, after searching the area, found the suspect, identified as Jarad Hammond, in the University Plaza Shopping Center. Hammond was arrested without incident, and troopers recovered the victim’s keys, knives, and the suspect’s belongings from the vehicle.
Hammond was charged with first-degree robbery and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony. He was arraigned and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $50,000 cash bond.
