Man charged after racial incident in Delco; community leaders speak out

DARBY TWP., Pa. - An alleged racial incident late last year in Darby Township, Delaware County, has community leaders outraged and calling for communities to take economic sanctions against a local business. 

According to Darby Township Police, it was just after 9 a.m. on November 21, 2024 when an officer was called to Hook Road in front of J and P Fence for "threats in progress."  

A photo captures the front of J and P Fence on Hook Road in Delaware County.

The officer arrived to find a female motorist claiming that 46-year-old John Romano loaded trees onto a truck, blocked the road and yelled racial slurs at her when she tried to go around the vehicle.

The incident drew outrage from community leaders gathered in Darby Township Thursday morning. 

"Black women who will feel unsafe because this bully thinks he has the right to photograph your license plate and suggests it’s okay. It is not!" said Senator Anthony Hardy Williams, a Democrat representing Philadelphia and Delaware County.

"The ethnic intimidation demonstrated by Mr. Romano has no place especially here in Delaware County," said Malcolm Yates, of the Delaware County Black Caucus.

According to police records, Romano’s alleged racist words were repeated to the police officer whose body camera was rolling. This led to Romano, described as a white male, being charged with ethnic intimidation, making terroristic threats and related charges. 

At J and P Fence, a man, who would not tell FOX 29 his name, said Romano was a day employee for J and P on the morning of the incident and ordered us to leave. 

He said, "get off the property. Reporter Jeff Cole asked him, "Your argument is he doesn’t work here?" The man said, "Correct." Cole asked, "and wasn’t an employee at the time?"  the man said, "correct" adding, "get off the property." 

Police were called while FOX 29 recorded from the street. 

Back at the press conference, Senator Williams sharply criticized Delaware County D.A. Jack Stollsteimer for not attending the press conference. 

Speaking later, Stollsteimer argued he can’t act as judge and jury.

He said, "the things he said- he’s alleged to have said-are horrible there’s no place for that kind of hatred and animus he showed that day to her anywhere in Delaware County."