REHOBOTH BEACH — Following a late-night altercation on Aug. 17 resulting in several charges filed, including three felonies and three misdemeanor hate crime charges, both Sussex Pride and the Rehoboth Beach Police have added context to the incident.
Rehoboth Beach Police Chief Keith Banks explained the investigation into the incident was ongoing, and preliminary reports were still making their way through the approvals process before they could be made public.
Still, he continued, incidents like these alarm the community, and he wanted to provide some context to the incident.
At about 2 a.m. on Aug. 17, three women flagged down a Rehoboth Beach Police officer after being confronted by several juveniles in the area of Baltimore Avenue and Second Street.
Police report five Rehoboth Beach juveniles exited a car driven by Jerome Charleston, 21 of Bridgeville, and decided to make statements about the women’s activities. During the incident one of the teens opened fire with a replica gun loaded with gel bullets.
Chief Banks said all three victims reported being struck by the projectiles, and reported one of the witnesses said the weapon was reloaded during the attack. Chief Banks said the investigation had not yet determined how many shots were fired, or if the reloading had occurred.
The minors then returned to the vehicle and fled. Chief Banks said the witnesses were able to provide good information to officers, and the vehicle was stopped a short time later by a Dewey Beach officer on Coastal Highway. Once stopped, all five juveniles and the driver were taken into custody without incident.
According to a Rehoboth Beach Police press release about the incident, the only reason the suspects stopped to accost the women was a perception of their sexual orientation.
All five juveniles were charged with three counts of felony aggravated menacing, three counts of misdemeanor hate crime, three counts of misdemeanor offensive touching, misdemeanor disorderly conduct and misdemeanor third degree conspiracy.
Mr. Charleston was charged with disorderly conduct. The juveniles, three 15-year-olds and two 14-year-olds, were released to a parent or guardian.
“We express our heartfelt support to the three women who were directly affected by this heinous act and commend the Rehoboth Police Department for their swift response and their commitment to applying the hate crime statute in this case,” a joint statement from Sussex Pride and Speak Out Against Hate reads.
“It is heartbreaking to see how young many of the suspects in this crime are. It is our profound hope that these young people learn and grow from this incident,” the release continues. “Both Sussex Pride and Speak Out Against Hate (SOAH) do this work because we believe such change is possible, and we support the use of restorative justice whenever possible.”
Speak Out Against Hate has scheduled its next public meeting for Sept. 12, at 5 p.m. at the Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams Ave.
The Delaware Anti-Violence Project, a program of Sussex Pride, has scheduled its next public meeting for Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. at 17583 Shady Road.
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