Ocean City, MD — A stolen vehicle reported out of Delaware sparked a multi-agency manhunt across Worcester County early Saturday after its occupants fled from police, abandoned the damaged vehicle, and ran into a wooded area. Authorities ultimately arrested three suspects, including a 17-year-old wanted in Mississippi in connection with an aggravated assault shooting case.
The incident began at approximately 1:15 a.m. Saturday when Ocean City Police Department officers attempted to stop a speeding vehicle on Baltimore Avenue. According to police, the vehicle was traveling at such a high rate of speed that officers could not safely conduct the traffic stop.
A description of the vehicle was immediately broadcast to nearby law enforcement agencies.
A second attempt to stop the vehicle occurred on Philadelphia Avenue near 31st Street, but the driver allegedly accelerated away from officers and continued northbound on Coastal Highway, running multiple red lights.
Stop Sticks Disable Vehicle, Suspects Run
Ocean City officers deployed tire-deflation devices at the intersection of Coastal Highway and Route 90. The vehicle struck the stop sticks, puncturing several tires, but continued westbound across the Route 90 bridge.
Deputies with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office later attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver continued fleeing while committing additional traffic violations, authorities said.
The pursuit ended near Worcester Highway in Showell, where the vehicle finally came to a stop.
Instead of surrendering, three occupants exited the vehicle and fled into nearby woods, prompting a large-scale search involving multiple agencies.
Key Points
• Three Dover, Delaware, suspects were arrested after fleeing from a stolen vehicle in Worcester County.
• Ocean City police used stop sticks to disable the vehicle after it allegedly ran multiple red lights.
• One juvenile suspect was wanted in Mississippi on an aggravated assault warrant tied to a shooting investigation.
K-9 Teams Help Locate Suspects
Law enforcement quickly established a perimeter and launched a coordinated search involving the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean City Police Department, Berlin Police Department, Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack, and Maryland State Police Aviation Command’s Trooper 4 helicopter.
Investigators located the driver, identified as Edward Ray Reedy Jr., 19, of Dover, Delaware, hiding on a property along Worcester Highway.
Police determined Reedy had been operating the stolen vehicle.
Ocean City Police K-9 teams then played a critical role in locating another suspect. K-9 Mackenzie and K-9 Finn tracked through the area and led officers to a nearby property where Qristian Gavin Durant, 19, of Dover, was allegedly hiding beneath a rear deck.
Durant was taken into custody without incident.
Vehicle Reported Stolen From Delaware
During the investigation, Ocean City officers coordinated with the Dover Police Department to contact the vehicle’s owner.
Authorities learned the vehicle had been stolen from a residence in Dover late on the night of May 29.
Investigators subsequently charged both Reedy and Durant with theft involving property valued between $1,500 and $25,000, as well as obstructing and hindering the investigation.
Durant appeared before a Maryland District Court commissioner and was ordered held on a $20,000 bond.
Reedy faces the theft and obstruction charges in addition to multiple traffic-related offenses and was ordered held without bond.
Third Suspect Wanted in Mississippi Shooting Case
The search continued into the morning hours.
At approximately 6:30 a.m., Worcester County Sheriff’s Office deputies located the third suspect, a 17-year-old juvenile from Dover, in the area where the vehicle initially stopped.
Investigators confirmed the teen had been an occupant of the stolen vehicle and took him into custody.
In addition to a theft charge, authorities said the juvenile was wanted by the Kemper County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi on an outstanding warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon connected to an April 27, 2026, shooting incident.
The juvenile was transported to the Lower Eastern Shore Children’s Center pending extradition proceedings.
Multi-Agency Operation Ends With All Suspects Captured
Ocean City police credited the successful operation to cooperation among local, county, state, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies.
The Ocean City Police Department specifically praised the efforts of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Maryland State Police Aviation Command, Berlin Police Department, Dover Police Department, Kemper County Sheriff’s Office, and Ocean City officers and K-9 teams.
All three suspects were taken into custody, the stolen vehicle was recovered, and the investigation remains ongoing.