Dealership Heist Gone Wrong: Man Steals Car, Crashes It Into Delaware Church. A 36-year-old man has been named by police as the culprit in the alleged collision of a stolen car with a church in Newark, Delaware.
Police said they used forensic and video evidence, along with witness interviews, to identify Newark resident George Shaw as the culprit.
On August 9, at around two in the morning, it was originally reported that a car had hit St. John AM Church at the intersection of New London Road and Hillside Road.
According to the police, the car was speeding west on West Cleveland Avenue. The car exited the road and flew into the church as it continued westward past the intersection of New London Road and West Cleveland Avenue/Hillside Road.
According to authorities, an investigation revealed that Shaw had just taken the car from an East Cleveland Avenue automotive dealership.
Police claim that an officer saw the car leaving the dealership while driving carelessly on East Cleveland Avenue. Before the officer could try to stop the car, it crashed.
Shaw was being imprisoned at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on unrelated crimes when Newark Police formally arrested him on November 28, according to police.
He was accused of careless driving, two charges of criminal mischief, theft of more than $1,500, and other traffic infractions.
According to Pastor Blaine Hackett, who was interviewed by NBC10 at the time of the incident, St. John AM Church was Newark’s first black church. Every week, only roughly 15 regular parishioners attend, but many more participate virtually.
Hackett had mentioned that another car had struck the chapel previously. Even though they had put up obstacles the last time, an automobile managed to pass through them this time.
