Emergency Files

A registered sex offender who had resided in Bethany Beach was apprehended Saturday, April 30, at his new home in Georgetown, after failing to comply with Megan’s Law.

According to Pfc. Joanna Robertson, public information officer (PIO) for the Bethany Beach Police Department (BBPD), 55-year-old Charles McLaughlin was wanted for failure to pay a traffic summons and for failing to notify authorities of his change of address from Bethany Beach to Georgetown — as required under Megan’s Law.

Robertson said Bethany Beach officers, assisted by Georgetown police, took McLaughlin into custody in Georgetown on April 30. He was charged with one count of failure to register as a sex offender within seven days after an address change. McLaughlin is listed as a Level 2 sex offender within the state’s registry system, according to the BBPD.

McLaughlin was released after paying $200 secured bond. A preliminary hearing was set for Thursday, May 5.

Fenwick Island police make drug arrest

Pfc. Jason Bergman of the Fenwick Island Police Department (FIPD) arrested two Selbyville residents on drug charges on April 17, after he recognized the female driver of a car traveling through the town.

According to FIPD PIO Sgt. W.H. Boyden, Bergman knew there was an outstanding warrant for Kathi Ann Smith and, recognizing her, stopped her vehicle on Route 54. Bergman said he suspected Smith was intoxicated and took her into custody for driving under the influence.

During the investigation, Bergman recovered from the vehicle a plastic bag containing five small bags of white powder and another bag containing pills, Boyden said. Bergman also reported recovering a small plastic bag containing white powder and a plastic straw, from Smith’s passenger, Richard Lawrence Stover, also of Selbyville.

Stover was arrested and charged with consumption of a Schedule II drug, possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. Smith was charged with possession with intent to deliver, possession of a Schedule II drug, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and driving while suspended. Boyden said the DUI offense would be a fourth such offense for Smith, making for a felony charge.

Both subjects were committed to Sussex County Corrections facilities.

Millville man leads police on chase

A 50-year-old Millville man was arrested Sunday, April 24, after leading Fenwick Island and South Bethany police on a chase north on Coastal Highway and through the Sea Colony development.

FIPD PIO Sgt. W.H. Boyden reported that Officer Stephen Majewski of the FIPD had been operating a stationary radar post at Coastal Highway and Lewes Street in Fenwick Island at 5:10 p.m. on April 24 when the equipment registered a vehicle traveling at 58 mph in a 35 mph zone.

Majewski attempted to stop the vehicle, which then pulled onto the shoulder of the road. The officer reported that the driver drove the vehicle away at a high rate of speed after he approached. Majewski then notified the dispatcher of the situation and requested assistance from South Bethany officers, Boyden said.

The suspect vehicle traveled north on Coastal Highway, into South Bethany, and was observed weaving in and out of traffic, and riding on the shoulder of the highway, police reported.

The vehicle then made an abrupt left turn off Coastal Highway and into Sea Colony, where the driver stopped at a dead end, exited the vehicle and fled on foot, Boyden said. Majewski and an officer from the SBPD apprehended the driver a short distance from the car.

Oliff was charged with speeding, failure to stop at command, failure to signal, driving on a suspended license, failure to have required insurance and expired registration. He was released on a summons.

Fugitive arrested by Fenwick Island police

An investigation of two outstanding warrants by Officer Stephen Majewski of the FIPD resulted in the arrest of a man living near Fenwick Island.

According to FIPD PIO W.H. Boyden, Majewski had compared warrants for subjects Eric J. Williams and Eric J. Williamson and noticed that the physical descriptions for both men were similar. His investigation revealed they were the same person, Boyden said.

Majewski secured an additional warrant for the suspect, charging him with criminal impersonation.

On Wednesday, April 27, Majewski, assisted by fellow FIPD officer Pfc. Jason Bergman, responded to the suspect’s apparent residents at the Summertime Trailer Park, off Coastal Highway to the north of the town.

At 6:40 p.m., the officers reported, they spotted a man running from them. The man entered a second-floor apartment, they said, and was located hiding under a bed. The suspect was taken into custody and later identified as Eric J. Williams.

Williams was charged with being a local wanted fugitive, criminal impersonation and resisting arrest. He was committed to Sussex County Corrections. It was later discovered that Williams was also wanted by Worcester County, Md., for failure to appear on a theft charge. Williams was to be held at Sussex Correctional Institute, pending extradition to Maryland.

Chimney malfunction causes fire in Selbyville

A Selbyville family escaped their home without injury Sunday, April 24, after a fire started within the wall of the structure.

Members of the Roxana Volunteer Fire Company, assisted by the Millville Volunteer Fire Company, responded to an alarm at 11:01 p.m. in the 36000 block of Country Lane in the Derrickson Landing development. On arrival, the fire companies reported encountering light smoke conditions.

Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Randall W. Lee reported that the home was occupied at the time of the fire, by John Tucker and his family. Damages to the structure were reported at $7,000, but the family reported no injuries.

State Fire Marshal deputies determined the fire had been caused by a chimney malfunction and originated within a wall. The home was equipped with working smoke detectors, Lee said.