WILMINGTON, Delaware. — Delaware State Police arrested a 53-year-old Wilmington man Thursday in connection with a robbery at a Valero gas station. Luis Santiago was taken into custody following an incident late Thursday morning.
On August 15, at approximately 11:18 a.m., police officers were dispatched to the Valero gas station at 1327 McKennan’s Church Road in Wilmington.
According to police, Santiago approached a woman at the gas pump, forcibly took her cell phone and fled the scene. However, his escape was thwarted when Good Samaritans chased him and were able to detain him. During the struggle, Santiago threw the stolen phone, damaging it. The victim sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Santiago also sustained injuries while being restrained by passersby. While en route by ambulance to a local hospital, Santiago reportedly became rowdy and kicked an EMT. Once at the hospital, he continued to resist arrest, resulting in a minor injury to a hospital staff member.
After Santiago was treated and released from the hospital, he was transported to Delaware State Police Troop 2.
He was charged with second-degree robbery, offensive touching of an emergency medical technician, third-degree assault and criminal damage to property. Santiago was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 11 and is currently being held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $7,100 bail.
- Wilmington man arrested after robbery at Valero gas station
WILMINGTON, Delaware. — Delaware State Police arrested a 53-year-old Wilmington man Thursday in connection with a robbery at a Valero gas station. Luis Santiago was taken into custody following an incident late Thursday morning.
On August 15, at approximately 11:18 a.m., police officers were dispatched to the Valero gas station at 1327 McKennan’s Church Road in Wilmington.
According to police, Santiago approached a woman at the gas pump, forcibly took her cell phone and fled the scene. However, his escape was thwarted when Good Samaritans chased him and were able to detain him. During the struggle, Santiago threw the stolen phone, damaging it. The victim sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Santiago also sustained injuries while being restrained by passersby. While en route by ambulance to a local hospital, Santiago reportedly became rowdy and kicked an EMT. Once at the hospital, he continued to resist arrest, resulting in a minor injury to a hospital staff member.
After Santiago was treated and released from the hospital, he was transported to Delaware State Police Troop 2.
He was charged with second-degree robbery, offensive touching of an emergency medical technician, third-degree assault and criminal damage to property. Santiago was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 11 and is currently being held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $7,100 bail.
- Brick Township women sentenced to prison for animal cruelty and child neglect
BRICK TOWNSHIP, NJ — Two Brick Township women were sentenced Friday to 364 days in the Ocean County Jail after pleading guilty to animal cruelty and child neglect. Michele Nycz, 60, and Aimee Lonczak, 51, also received four years’ probation and a lifetime ban on owning or working with animals.
The ruling follows an investigation that began on December 2, 2022, when Brick Township police responded to an anonymous complaint about a possible puppy mill at a residence on Arrowhead Park Drive. Officers on scene reported a strong odor and barking coming from the home. When they entered the home, they found it in an unsanitary condition, with crates containing dogs and cats stacked on top of each other.
The situation was so bad that officers had to leave the home and call for a hazardous materials team. Rescue workers in protective gear later removed about 129 dogs and 43 cats from the home, along with the bodies of two dead dogs. Both Nycz and Lonczak, who lived in the apartment with Lonczak’s 16-year-old child, were arrested at the scene.
In addition to the animal cruelty charges, Lonczak was convicted of child neglect related to the living conditions in his home. The sentences for Nycz and Lonczak will be served concurrently. As part of their sentencing, Judge Guy P. Ryan also imposed community service that excludes any contact with animals.
Nycz and Lonczak entered their guilty pleas before Judge Ryan at the end of June.
- Brick Township man thought she was 14, but she was a police officer
BRICK TOWNSHIP, NJ — A 46-year-old Brick Township man was arrested Thursday after an investigation found him in possession of child pornography and attempting to provide obscene material to a minor. Christian Kohl faces several charges, including possession of child pornography and attempted endangerment of the welfare of a child.
The investigation was initiated following a report from the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicated that an individual had been sending and receiving child pornography online.
According to the Ocean County District Attorney’s Office, a high-tech criminal investigation identified an IP address linked to Kohl’s residence in Brick Township. Between May and August 2024, an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old girl conducted conversations with a user of the messaging service Kik. The user, later identified as Kohl, allegedly sent inappropriate nude photos and videos despite being repeatedly advised that the recipient was a minor.
On August 15, 2024, investigators from multiple agencies, including the Ocean County District Attorney’s Office High Tech Crime Unit and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, executed a court-ordered search warrant at Kohl’s residence. An initial forensic examination of his cell phone revealed several images of child pornography.
Kohl was arrested without incident at his home and is currently being held in the Ocean County Jail awaiting his detention hearing.
