4 arrested in connection with abduction, sexual assault of female driver in Delaware, police say
WILMINGTON, Del. - Authorities in Delaware have arrested four people who they say were part of a ruse to lure drivers from their car by rear-ending their vehicles.
The Delaware State Police said they arrested the occupants of a Nissan Pathfinder after it crashed into another vehicle during a pursuit on I-95 and Concord Pike Friday morning.
It's alleged that the Nissan was used to purposefully rear-end a driver near I-95 and Marsh Road and during the incident the driver pointed a handgun at the victim before fleeing.
State Police on Monday arrested the occupants of a black Jeep that was used in a pair of similar incidents last Friday morning, including a brief abduction and sexual assault of a female driver.
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According to investigators, the two men inside a Jeep purposefully rear-ended another vehicle near Thompsons Bridge Road and Guyen Court Road in Wilmington around 6:45 a.m.
The Jeep fled the scene of the crash before officers responded, according to police, and the driver was taken to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Minutes later, while driving in an undisclosed area of Pennsylvania, authorities say the Jeep rear-ended a female driver and followed her a short distance into Delaware where she pulled over.
When the woman exited her car to assess the damage, police said one of the occupants forced her into her car at gunpoint and drove them both back over the Pennsylvania border.
With the second suspect following in the black Jeep, authorities said the woman was sexually assaulted but managed to escape to a nearby home for help.
According to authorities, the Jeep fled into Delaware, where they met up with the red Nissan Pathfinder in the parking lot of an unnamed convenience store.
The Jeep eluded police during a chase on Friday, but state police said they caught up with the two wanted suspects on Monday and placed them in custody.