New Castle County police were able to identify and arrest the three teenagers who they say assaulted and robbed a man in Glasgow Park on July 5 by using surveillance footage, Instagram and an Old Navy sweatshirt, according to court documents obtained by Delaware Online/The News Journal.
The attack, which sparked safety concerns from the community, occurred as a man walked past an 18-year-old man and two 15-year-old boys on a bench in Glasgow Park at about 5:35 p.m., court records show. The man was heading back to his car when the 18-year-old stood and hit him in the back of his head, sending the man stumbling onto the ground, according to court documents.
BACKGROUND:3 charged with assault, robbery in Glasgow Park 1 week after town hall on park safety
The man was able to get back up and defend himself, according to court documents, and he ripped off a ski mask from one of the teen’s head. The teenagers then ran off toward the basketball courts, taking the man’s $15 Under Armor baseball hat with them.
The man was left with multiple injuries, court records show, including a cut on his upper lip that required five stitches. A county employee who was cutting the grass nearby told police they’d seen the teens sitting on the bench before the robbery and thought it was strange that they were all wearing black hoodies and ski masks in the summer.
The person mowing the lawn saw the three teenagers flee into a white sedan parked nearby, court records show, and parking lot surveillance footage showed the suspects drive off in a Toyota Scion tC at 5:36 p.m. The car was chipped and damaged in multiple places, according to court documents, and police were able to identify the car and track it throughout Newark using various traffic cameras.
Police also found footage of the car being driven through the city prior to the assault, noting they could partially see someone in the front passenger seat was wearing a maroon sweatshirt with the word “Old” on it.
MORE:County police, officials address recent Glasgow Park incidents, steps to improve safety
Over the next few days, police were able to determine the owner of the car after they found it was involved in a crash in 2021, court records show. They saw the 18-year-old man and an unidentified woman — whom they determined to be a couple through Instagram — use the car multiple times, and executed a search warrant on their residence on July 10.
Court documents show that police found the same maroon sweatshirt inside a bedroom, this time with the full “Old Navy” logo visible. Police were later told that the sweatshirt was given to the 18-year-old by one of the 15-year-olds also involved in the assault, though the 15-year-old said he did not remember much of what happened, according to court records.
He told police that the group went to Glasgow Park on July 5, but that the 18-year-old’s girlfriend stayed in the car. When the man with the Under Armor hat walked past, one of the three teens said “that’s the one,” according to court documents. Redactions of the court records made it unclear who the speaker was.
The 15-year-old said that there was no prior discussion of robbing or attacking anyone and that he did not know where the man’s hat went. He also messaged the 18-year-old on Instagram after the incident saying that he felt bad for attacking someone older, court records show, and mentioned seeing a news story about the incident.
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The 18-year-old replied and said next time they would rob a “leprechaun,” or someone with more money, according to court documents.
All three of the teens were each charged with felony first-degree robbery; felony second-degree conspiracy; wearing a disguise while committing a felony; and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
Police said the 18-year-old was released from police custody after posting a $48,000 bail, and the 15-year-old from Newark was released without bail. The 15-year-old from New Castle is still awaiting arraignment.
The 18-year-old’s preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Thursday.
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
