Woman found beaten, unconscious in Brandywine Hundred home
A jury found Jermaine Booker guilty of Assault First Degree, Home Invasion, Robbery First Degree, Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, Burglary Second Degree, and Misdemeanor Theft on January 22. Booker, 21, of Wilmington will be sentenced to prison time in April.
In January 2014, a man returned to his home in the 100 block of Cambridge Drive, in Windsor Hills, to find his wife unconscious and bleeding in a small room off of the garage. He also discovered her car was gone. Booker was arrested two days later when police stopped the victim’s car in Newark, New Jersey. The license plate on the vehicle was stolen from the home of a neighbor of the victim, and contained one of Booker’s fingerprints. Additionally, a DNA test showed that a pair of Booker’s shoes found in the vehicle, were covered with the victim’s blood. This attack led to the assault, home invasion, robbery, and weapons charges.
Booker was also found guilty of burglary and theft, related to the break-in of another home on Cambridge Drive.
Deputy Attorneys General Mark Denney and Caterina Gatto prosecuted the case.
“This was a brutal and tragic case and the victim’s life has been altered forever,” said Attorney General Matt Denn. “Delawareans should know that law enforcement agencies, and our prosecutors will not rest until the people responsible for crime are punished. I thank New Castle County Police and Deputy Attorneys General Denney and Gatto for securing the verdict and bringing Mr. Booker to justice.”
“This was one of the most heinous and reprehensible crimes we have seen and the trauma suffered by the victim and the community is unimaginable,” said Col. Elmer Setting, Chief of the New Castle County Police. “This was a crime that we were not going to let go unsolved and is another example of our relentless pursuit of those who commit violent crime in New Castle County. Due to the professionalism and determination of our officers and detectives, combined with the prosecutorial efforts of the Attorney General’s office, the defendant was found guilty for his actions. While this conviction will never replace the loss suffered by the victim and her family, we hope that knowing that the person responsible will remain behind bars can offer some solace.”
Booker, who faces prison time ranging from 14 to 109 years, will be sentenced on April 1, 2016.