REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - On Aug. 18, around 2 a.m. three women flagged down an officer after they were confronted by a group of juveniles who fired an Airsoft gun at them before fleeing in a car.
According to police, the incident occurred near Baltimore Avenue and Second Street when a vehicle approached the women, stopped, and five juveniles exited. The juveniles reportedly made remarks about the women’s public behavior, which they deemed inappropriate. During the exchange, one of the juveniles fired an Airsoft gun at the women before all five returned to the vehicle and left the area.
A Dewey Beach police officer located and stopped the vehicle along the Coastal Highway corridor in Rehoboth Beach. The officer took all five juveniles, along with an adult driver, into custody without incident.
Further investigation revealed that the confrontation was motivated by the suspects' perception of the victims’ sexual orientation, according to authorities.
The Juveniles all ranged in ages of 14 and 15. The adult driver was identified as Jerome Charleston 21, of Bridgeville.
The juveniles were charged with the following:
- Aggravated Menacing (3 counts, felony)
- Offensive Touching (3 counts, misdemeanor)
- Hate Crime (3 counts, misdemeanor)
- Conspiracy in the Third Degree (misdemeanor)
- Disorderly Conduct (misdemeanor)
They were released to a parent or guardian. Charleston was charged with disorderly conduct and will appear in court at a later date.