Delaware State Police are on the case following an armed robbery and vehicle theft that took place early last Sunday in Millsboro at approximately 5:15 a.m. Troopers received a call to investigate the incident at the intersection of Hollyville Road and Mount Joy Road, where two victims, a man and a woman, had arranged to meet an acquaintance.
According to the Delaware State Police news release, the situation escalated quickly when the female victim was confronted and robbed at gunpoint after stepping out of her car to join the suspect in another vehicle, resulting in a theft of an unspecified sum of money. The male victim was meanwhile forced out of his car by another suspect, who drove off with the vehicle, which was later recovered by detectives. The escape involved, three suspects: two black males and one black female.
Through their investigations, the police have identified 27-year-old Javontai Ricketts of Seaford, Delaware, as one of the involved parties. An arrest warrant was issued and, Ricketts turned himself in to authorities yesterday at around 6:00 p.m., at Troop 4. After turning himself in, he was charged with a list of offenses including Robbery 1st and 2nd Degree, both felonies, as well as Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and several others before being committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $163,000 cash bond.
As the investigation persists, the Delaware State Police Troop 4 Criminal Investigations Unit is seeking information from the public. "Anyone with information regarding this case or the whereabouts of Javontai Ricketts is asked to contact Detective K. Perry at (302) 752-3793," the announcement stated. Tips can also be submitted through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333, or by sending a private message to the Delaware State Police Facebook page.
For those affected by crime, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit / Delaware Victim Center offers support and resources, available 24 hours a day via a toll-free hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461) or through email at [email protected]. With cases like these unfolding, the importance of community and official collaboration becomes all the more pronounced in the shared effort of upholding justice and safeguarding the peace.
