5 arrested for shooting, attempted robbery outside Delaware rest stop; victim also arrested

NEWARK, Del. (WPVI) -- Six people, including the victim, have been arrested in connection with a shooting and attempted robbery at a rest stop in Newark, Delaware, during the holiday travel season.

It happened in the parking lot near the Starbucks at the Biden Welcome Center around 7 p.m. on December 1, 2024.

When officers arrived, they found 45-year-old Orenzo Charles lying on the ground.

He was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators say Charles was approached by multiple people in a white sedan while he was stopped at the service center.

Charles and the suspects then allegedly discussed drugs, at which point police say Charles retrieved a bag of marijuana from his vehicle.

That's when one of the suspects allegedly grabbed the bag through the vehicle's window and a struggle ensued as the white sedan tried to drive away.

During the struggle, police say one of the suspects fired off shots, striking Charles once.

After the shooting, the suspects took off in an unknown direction with the bag of marijuana.

Delaware State Police have arrested a 16-year-old female from Newark and a 17-year-old female from New Castle. They also arrested 18-year-old Trajuan Wilmot, 18-year-old Bryson Ridgley, and 18-year-old Miguel Matthews, all three from Elkton, Maryland.

Charles, of Goshen, New York, has also been arrested for felony drug offenses after a search warrant uncovered approximately 265.59 grams of marijuana in his vehicle, according to police.

All of the suspects were ultimately taken into custody on separate dates throughout the investigation and were each charged with multiple crimes.

Charles turned himself in to police on December 10. He has since been arraigned and released on a $3,000 unsecured bond.

The 17-year-old was taken into custody on Dec. 12 in Wilmington on assault, robbery, possession of a firearm and conspiracy charges and is being held at New Castle County Detention Center on a $182,000 cash bond.

The 16-year-old turned herself in on Dec. 16. She has been charged with assault, robbery, possession of a firearm and conspiracy. She has since been arraigned and released to a guardian after posting a $62,000 secured bond.

Wilmot and Ridgley were taken into custody in Maryland by the Elkton Police Department on Dec. 16 and were extradited to Delaware on Dec. 18, where they also face assault, robbery, possession of a firearm and conspiracy charges. They are being held on a $182,000 cash bonds.

Matthews was charged on Jan. 17 for assault, robbery, possession of a firearm and conspiracy, and is being held on a $77,000 cash bond.