Teen arrested in carjacking of 70-year-old man at Delaware Wawa, officials say

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NEW CASTLE, Del. - A teen has been arrested in connection to a carjacking that happened at a New Castle Wawa early Sunday.

The incident happened at approximately 6:39 a.m. at a Wawa located on the 1500 block of N. DuPont Highway.

Police say a 70-year-old man parked his 2008 Honda Civic at the air pump of the Wawa and began to pump air into his tires.

As the man pumped his tires, two unknown individuals approached his vehicle from the nearby bus stop, according to authorities.

As the victim was kneeling, one of the suspects entered the driver's compartment as the other stood on the passenger side of the vehicle.

Although the victim tried to physically remove the suspect from the car, the suspect placed the vehicle in reverse and drove off.

The victim moved away from the vehicle to avoid being physically harmed.

Police say that two individuals at the Wawa witnessed the incident and both followed the stolen vehicle.

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The suspect drove the vehicle from the Wawa parking lot, around the rear of the complex, and onto Bacon Avenue. The suspect then crashed the vehicle into a fence on a residential property located on the 100 block of Bacon Avenue.

As the suspect crashed the vehicle, the two witnesses blocked the sides of the car so it could no longer move. The suspect climbed out the vehicle window and fled the scene on foot.

Witnesses were able to provide the police with the suspects' description and approximately 30 minutes after the crash, officers noticed a person that matched the suspect's description.

That person was near the bus stop in front of the Fairfield Inn and Suites about one mile north of the Wawa.

Police say when the suspect noticed the officer, he crossed over US-13 and began walking northbound on US-13 in front of Gracelawn Memorial Cemetery.

When troopers exited their marked police cars, the suspect fled on foot into a nearby neighborhood.

Eventually, the suspect was apprehended and taken into custody without incident and identified as 18-year-old Brandon Gardner.

Gardner was treated by paramedics for minor cuts sustained after he climbed over a barbed-wire fence.

Police say the victim was not injured during the incident.

Gardner faces numerous charges including Robbery First Degree (Felony), Criminal Mischief Over $1,000, Resisting Arrest, and several more related to the incident.

Gardner was arraigned in the Justice of the Peace Court #11 and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on an $11,000.00 cash bond.

The other male with Gardner has not been identified at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Det. Ryan Kirchenbauer with Delaware State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit by calling 302-365-8525.