Two late-shift employees in Wilmington were ambushed by a pair of masked attackers as they walked to their cars after finishing work, beaten, robbed and left needing hospital treatment before sunrise on Sunday. Delaware State Police say the assault happened around 3:20 a.m. in the 3300 block of Old Capitol Trail, in the Prices Corner area, and that the suspects wore pink masks as they closed in on the workers.
According to wdel.com, the two employees of a business on Old Capitol Trail were approached by two male suspects as they walked toward their vehicles just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Both victims were assaulted and robbed of unspecified personal property, the station reports, and the attackers then fled in a vehicle. As reported by Shore News Network, investigators have classified the incident as a strong-arm robbery, meaning physical force was used to take the victims' belongings rather than a weapon being displayed.
Victims Hospitalized, Investigation Still Wide Open
Emergency medical personnel transported both injured employees to a nearby hospital, where their injuries were described as non-life-threatening, per Delaware State Police. Beyond that detail, much remains unknown. Police have not identified the business where the employees worked, nor have they disclosed what was stolen or its estimated value. The report notes that officials also have not released the escape vehicle's make, model, color or direction of travel.
It is likewise unclear whether surveillance cameras captured the assault or whether any witnesses were present, as police have not indicated either way. The suspects have not been publicly identified in the announcement, and the same account notes their identities and whereabouts remain unresolved. No arrests have been reported in connection with the robbery.
Criminal Investigations Unit Takes Over the Case
The Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit has assumed responsibility for the case and is working to identify the two suspects described only as males wearing pink masks. Detectives have requested tips about any suspicious activity observed near the 3300 block of Old Capitol Trail in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to the Shore News Network account of the state police announcement.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Delaware State Police Detective M. Kerrigan at 302-365-8487. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333. The Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and the Delaware Victim Center offer confidential support services to victims and witnesses, and can be reached through the Victim Services hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461).
What Delaware Law Says About Strong-Arm Robbery
Under Delaware Code, a person is guilty of robbery in the second degree when, in the course of committing theft, they use or threaten the immediate use of force upon another person with intent to carry out that theft. It has not been established whether anyone in this case will face charges or whether the known facts will ultimately support a specific count, since the suspects remain unidentified.
The Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit continues to investigate the robbery as it works to track down the two men behind the early-morning attack. For now, the case leaves two injured workers, a handful of confirmed details, and a long list of questions that only an arrest is likely to answer.
