State Police Arrest Man After Pursuit in Stolen Vehicle

Delaware State Police arrested 51-year-old Elvis Cruz of Newark, Delaware, for felony offenses following a pursuit in a stolen motor vehicle.

On September 26, 2024, at approximately 10:58 a.m., a trooper from the Highway Safety Unit, patrolling an area near the Christiana Mall, was notified of a stolen Nissan Maxima in the mall's parking lot. Upon arrival, the trooper observed the vehicle exiting the parking lot and conducted a computer check of the registration, confirming it had been reported stolen from within the jurisdiction of the New Castle County Police Department.

The trooper attempted a traffic stop, and initially, the vehicle pulled over on the shoulder of Stanton Christiana Road, just south of Eagle Run Road. The trooper gave verbal commands to the driver, who was wearing glasses and a knit hat and was later identified as Elvis Cruz. Suddenly, the car sped off, heading north on Stanton Christiana Road before turning left onto Eagle Run Road at a high rate of speed. The trooper briefly lost sight of the vehicle.

Thanks to several Good Samaritans, responding troopers were directed to Chapman Road, where the stolen vehicle was spotted entering the parking lot of Sonesta Suites at 240 Chapman Road in Newark. Cruz fled on foot after abandoning the vehicle but was apprehended following a brief foot chase and Taser deployment behind the hotel.

A subsequent search of the stolen vehicle revealed various clothing items, which were later determined to have been shoplifted from Macy's in Christiana Mall earlier that day. It was also determined that Cruz had stolen additional merchandise valued at under $1500 from the same location on September 23 and 24.

Further investigation revealed that Cruz was also involved in another theft incident at Christiana Mall on September 22, where he stole over $1,500 worth of perfumes from Perfume Point.

• Disregarding a Police Officer Signal (Felony)
• Receiving Stolen Property Value Over $1500 (Felony)
• Theft $1500 or Greater (Felony)
• Organized Retail Crime (Misdemeanor)
• Resisting Arrest (Misdemeanor)
• Other traffic-related offenses