Other defendants face prison time for rape, manslaughter, and weapons charges

All five people responsible for a home invasion and murder in the Collins Park area near New Castle will spend time in prison after the final two defendants received prison sentences of more than 20 years. In July 2015, Timane Dollard, 26, of New Castle and Marquivus Hardy, 27, of Wilmington, along with three others people broke into the garage at a home in the 300 block of Martin Drive in New Castle, and shot and killed 29-year-old Isaias Gonzalez. Another man received gunshot wounds to both legs. The pair was also responsible for a victim being held at gunpoint when they forced their way into an apartment in the 900 block of Maryland Avenue in Wilmington. Dollard, who pled guilty in September to Murder Second Degree, two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Robbery First Degree, Home Invasion, Conspiracy First Degree, and Conspiracy Second Degree, received a sentence of 35 years in prison from a Superior Court judge. Hardy pled guilty in March to Murder Second Degree, Assault Second Degree, two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Home Invasion, Conspiracy First Degree, and Conspiracy Second and received a 27-year prison sentence from a judge. Three other defendants — Miguel Taylor, 26, Dameir Walker, 25, and Zieisha Watters, 26, all of Wilmington — were previously sentenced for their involvement. Deputy Attorney General Phillip Casale prosecuted the case, with assistance from Sergeant Hector Garcia and Detective Mike Wiant of the New Castle County Police Department, Detective Charlie Puit of the Wilmington Police Department, DOJ social worker Kristen Fluharty-Emory, DOJ paralegal Kimberly Moro, and DOJ special investigator John Ciritella.

The man who raped, assaulted, and robbed a woman who was jogging through Brandywine Park in Wilmington will spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced by a Superior Court judge. Deputy Attorneys General Jan van Amerongen and Diana Dunn secured the sentence for Dequan Rodriquez, 32, of Wilmington. In June 2016, the victim was slammed to the ground, assaulted, raped, and robbed at knifepoint by Rodriquez, whom she did not know. After the attack, Rodriguez forced the injured victim to walk with him to a bank in Trolley Square to withdraw money for him. Rodriguez, who pled guilty but mentally ill to two counts of Rape First Degree in August, was sentenced to two life sentences with no chance of probation or parole. Detective Jamie Tobin of the Wilmington Police Department was the Chief Investigating Officer, with DOJ paralegal Stacey Coupe assisting with the case.

A 19-year-old Newark man will spend 8 years in prison after his sentencing for a guilty plea to Manslaughter and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. Deputy Attorneys General Amanda DiLiberto and James Kriner secured the sentence for Mark Johnson. Johnson admitted to firing a shot into a vehicle occupied by three people parked on Ashkirk Place in the Apple Chase apartment complex in June 2016. One of the people in the car, 18-year-old Tyreek Larkins of Bear, died as a result of a single gunshot wound. Johnson was arrested two weeks later in a home in Philadelphia. A Superior Court judge sentenced Johnson to 8 years in prison, followed by 6 months in a halfway house, then 2 years of probation. Paralegal Stacey Coupe and social worker Courtney Cochran assisted on the case.

Deputy Attorney General William Leonard secured a guilty plea and prison sentence for a 44-year-old West Grove, PA man found illegally carrying a gun. Ralph Walsh had outstanding arrest warrants against him in June 2017 when Newark Police stopped a vehicle he was riding in. While taking Walsh into custody, an officer noticed him reach for something in his waistband, which turned out to be a semi-automatic handgun. Walsh, barred from having a gun because of previous violent felony convictions on assault and drug charges, pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited and Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon. A Superior Court judge immediately sentenced Walsh to 10 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 2 years of probation.

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