Man faces firearm charges

    A 35-year-old Dover man was arrested on firearm charges Sept. 4 after Dover Police responded to a domestic dispute at his residence.

    Officers arrested Antonio Varnes after finding a Tech9 handgun and ammunition at the White Oak Apartments. He was charged with possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition by a person prohibited and unlawfully permitting a minor access to a firearm.

    Varnes was committed to the Vaughn Correctional Center in default of $5,500 secured bond.

Dover police search for cigarette thief

    A man on an apparent mission to steal Newport cigarettes struck three times early morning Sept. 4 leaving just as many smashed doors in his wake.

    At 1 a.m. officers responded to an alarm at Dot Discount on Independence Boulevard to find the front door smashed and 15 cartons of Newport cigarettes missing, said Lt. Paul Bernat, spokesman for the Dover Police Department.

    At 3:45 a.m., Bernat said the burglar entered the Stop and Shop on Walker Road by the same means and took approximately 20 cartons of Newports.

    The man ended his quest at 6:14 a.m. by smashing the front door at the Grocery Basket on Bradford Street and leaving with 10 cartons of Newports.

    Police are searching for a balding black man, 6 feet tall with a thin build, wearing a gray T-shirt, jeans and white sneakers.

    Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Larry Simpkiss at 736-7111.

Dover man dies after crashing van

    A 29-year-old Dover man was killed in a car crash Sept. 7 along Sudlersville Road.

    Vaughn L. Harris was driving a 2002 Dodge Caravan at 10:06 p.m. when he struck the rear of a car in front of him, said Sgt. Joshua Bushweller, spokesman for the Delaware State Police.

    The Caravan ran off the road, hit a utility pole and overturned several times before coming to a stop, Bushweller said.

    Harris was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver was treated for his injuries at Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital and released.

    Bushweller said the crash remains under investigation.

DOC reports prison walkaway

    The Delaware Department of Correction is looking for an individual who failed to return from an authorized pass issued by the Morris Community Corrections Center in Dover.

    The individual failed to return to the facility Sept. 2, said DOC spokesman John Painter.

    He is Anthony Stevens, 28, of Dover, a black man described as standing 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighting 140 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He is known to wear a full beard and has scars on his face, left elbow, left eyebrow, left hand and right hand, and tattoos on his abdomen and upper left arm.

    Stevens, who uses the aliases Michael Hicks and Denis Stevens, was in prison on a first-degree robbery charge.

    Anyone with information on Stevens’ whereabouts is asked to call 800-542-9524, or their local police department.

Two robbed at Persimmon Tree Apartments

    Police are searching for a suspect in connection with the robbery of two people behind the Persimmon Tree Apartments Aug. 31.

    The two were waiting to meet some friends when the man came up with a handgun and demanded their belongings, said Lt. James Hosfelt, spokesman for the Dover Police Department.

    The suspect is described as a black man, standing 6 feet tall, heavy-set, and wearing a white T-shirt and dark jeans.

    Anyone with information is asked to call Dover Police at 736-7111.

Three arrested on prescription drug charges

    Drug Enforcement Administration and the Operation Disarm Task Force last week arrested three persons following reports of prescription drugs being sold at a north Dover home.

    The operation occurred Sept. 4, in the 5800 block of North DuPont Highway, said Norman Wood, spokesman for the Smyrna Police Department.

    Armed with a search warrant, officers found several different prescriptions drugs being sold out of the residence, including approximately 77 Ecstacy pills that had been hidden in a drop ceiling.

    Officers arrested Dale Frazee and Shaun Frazee, both of the North DuPont Highway address, and Keith Riddick of Newark. All were jailed on charges including drug trafficking, conspiracy, maintaining a dwelling and possession of drug paraphernalia.

    All were jailed in default of secured bonds.

    The arrests were a joint effort that included the Delaware State Police, Wilmington Police, Dover Police and Smyrna Police.

Maple Parkway home damaged in arson

    An early morning burglary and a deliberately set fire at a home in the 700 block of Maple Parkway has caused approximately $10,000 in damages to the building.

    Their investigations show someone entered the vacant home Sept. 1 and set fire to the interior, said Lt. James Hosfelt, spokesman for the Dover Police Department.

    The fire investigation is a joint effort between Dover Police and the city fire marshal.

    Anyone with information is asked to call Dover Police at 736-7111, or the city fire marshal at 736-7010.

Farmington man fined for theft

    Agents with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Wildlife Enforcement office last week investigated two complaints of stolen property from Fairplay Farms in Farmington and arrested a suspect in the case.

    Kent County agents received a complaint Sept. 1 about two deer stands being stolen from the victim’s property and a second complaint Sept. 4 about two trail cameras missing from the same property, said enforcement agent Sgt. Gregory Rhodes.

    Agents located the stolen stands, which were found dumped near the second stolen game camera. A third camera remaining on the property provided a photo of the suspect, who confessed to the thefts and turned himself in.

    Reagan Ogden, 33, of Farmington pled guilty at Justice of the Peace Court No. 7 in Dover to one count of theft under $1,000 and one count of criminal trespass. He was fined $330 including court costs.

Police investigate area burglaries

    Dover Police are investigating a pair of burglaries that occurred in late August.

    • Between 12:30 and 4 p.m. Aug. 30, someone entered a home in the 400 block of North Governors Avenue and took money, jewelry and a cell phone, said Lt. James Hosfelt, spokesman for the Dover Police Department.

    • In the early hours of Aug. 31, Hosfelt said someone took a cash register with an undisclosed amount of money from E & J Liquors on Forrest Avenue.

    Anyone with information is asked to call Dover Police at 736-7111.