Other defendants face prison time for pleas to assault and weapons charges
A fatal shooting in Bridgeville has led to a guilty plea and prison sentence for a Greenwood man. Jared Mitchell, 32, pleaded guilty to Manslaughter, Reckless Endangering First Degree, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony for killing 18-year-old Tavyon Sykes of Greenwood in January 2018. A Superior Court judge sentenced Mitchell immediately after the plea to 12 years in prison, followed by 6 months of home confinement or work release then 10 years of probation. Deputy Attorneys General Casey L. Ewart and Kristin Potter prosecuted the case with the assistance of social worker Laurel Braunstein and administrative specialist Angelique Waters. Detective Jon King of the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit was the lead investigator.
A 62-year-old Frederica man who had possession of a neighbor’s dog when it mauled a young child was sentenced to prison. Deputy Attorney General Dennis Kelleher secured a guilty plea to Assault Second Degree from Rodger Scarborough in Superior Court. In November 2018, while Scarborough was walking the dog, the dog repeatedly bit a 4-year-old boy playing outside on the 100 block of Fifth Street in Frederica. The child was taken to the hospital with serious lacerations to his upper lip, multiple lacerations to his upper back, and lacerations to his forehead and the back of his head. A judge sentenced Scarborough to 1 year in prison followed by 1 year of probation. Social worker Kerry McElwee and administrative assistant Crystal Khan assisted with the case.
A Dover man pleaded guilty to shooting and injuring 2 people at a large house party in Dover last year. Marquis Harris, 23, pleaded to Assault First Degree and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. In September 2018, Dover Police responded to the unit block of Nicholas Drive where Harris shot into a crowd of people hitting a man and a woman in the back after a fight broke out at a party. A Superior Court judge will sentence Harris in June. Deputy Attorney General Sean Motoyoshi prosecuted the case with assistance from social worker Kerry McElwee and special investigator Pete Fraley. Detective Stephen Boone of the Dover Police Department was the chief investigating officer.