Driver Sentenced For Injuring Two Pedestrians In Dover

Other defendants guilty on weapons and assault charges

A man who ran over two teens as they crossed Route 13 in Dover has pled guilty and been sentenced to prison. In August 2018, William Smith, 52, of Dover, hit the girls with his vehicle while they were in a pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Route 13 and Denneys Road. Smith pled to 2 counts of Vehicular Assault First Degree and 1 count of Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony. A Superior Court judge sentenced Smith to a total of 5 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 1 year of probation. Deputy Attorney General Jason Cohee prosecuted the case with the assistance of social worker Esther Powell. Corporal Stephen Douglas led the investigation for the Delaware State Police.

Deputy Attorney General Kevin Gardner secured a guilty plea and prison sentence for a man who threatened his victim with a shotgun. In July 2018, Leerons Saab, 56, of Georgetown, was involved in an argument with another man. The argument turned physical, Sabb went to his house nearby, and returned with a shotgun. Saab fired one shot into the air, and then pointed the gun at the victim. Saab pled guilty to Aggravated Menacing and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. Based in part on previous felony convictions on assault charges, Saab was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 8 years in prison, followed by 18 months of probation.

A Georgetown man will spend a year in prison for abusing his infant daughter and causing serious injuries. Eduar Guzman-Cruz, 25, pled guilty to Assault Second Degree and 2 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. In June 2018, Guzman-Cruz took his 3-month-old daughter to the emergency room at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital saying the child was not acting right. Examinations showed the child had brain swelling and bleeding, plus a skull fracture. A Superior Court judge sentenced Guzman-Cruz to 1 year in prison followed by 3 years of probation. Deputy Attorney General Michael Tipton prosecuted the case with the assistance of social worker Kerri Hovan and the Delaware State Police.

A 19-year-old from New Castle pled guilty to charges that he fired a gun into a car full of people. Deputy Attorney General Marc Petrucci secured a guilty plea from Ramaj Thompson to Attempted Assault First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, 2 counts of Reckless Endangering First Degree, and Conspiracy Second Degree. In July 2018, Thompson got out of a car and fired several shots into another car travelling on Main Street in Middletown near Cox Road. None of the 4 people inside the other car, some of whom Thompson had a conflict with, were injured. A Superior Court judge will sentence Thompson in May. Detective Julia Fabbroni of the Middletown Police Department was the chief investigating officer, with DOJ paralegal Lisa Loikith and social worker Donna Lindsay also assisting with the prosecution.

A Frederica man was convicted on multiple weapons offenses in a bench trial. A Superior Court judge found Alex Durham, 27, guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, Resisting Arrest, and Tampering with Physical Evidence. In May 2018, Durham started to run when he noticed police approaching him on the street. During a foot chase, Durham pulled a gun from his waistband. Police dispatched a K9 that helped take Durham into custody. A judge will sentence Durham, barred from having a gun because of previous felony convictions on weapons, reckless endangering, and conspiracy charges, in April. Deputy Attorney General Lindsay Taylor prosecuted the case.