DOVER, Del. - A Dover man faces charges after a series of graffiti vandalism incidents, including defacing a predominantly Black house of worship with KKK messaging.
Police arrested Isiah Worthy, 28, on Sunday, April 13, after a witness reported seeing him writing in black permanent marker on city-owned poles and signs along Lincoln Street. Officers later found Worthy in the area of Loockerman and South Kirkwood streets, where he matched the witness description. Authorities discovered Worthy had an outstanding warrant and arrested him at the scene.
The investigation revealed Worthy had defaced a City of Dover electric pole and a stop sign. After his initial release on an Own Recognizance bond for graffiti and possession of graffiti implements, additional reports of similar graffiti surfaced, including vandalism at the Holy Trinity Church at 101 South New Street. The graffiti included references to the KKK, though the context and intent remain undetermined, said Dover police.
Following a deeper investigation by patrol officers and detectives, police connected Worthy to six additional incidents of vandalism. On April 25, Worthy turned himself in at the Dover Police Department, where he was processed and again released on a bond. He now faces a total of six counts of graffiti and six counts of possession of graffiti instruments.
Mayor Robin R. Christiansen has responded to the incident saying, “Hate of any kind, whether it be speech or violence by anyone or any group will not, I repeat, will NOT be tolerated. I personally will use all my authority to see that any individual, or group of individuals, no matter who they are, when possible, are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in either State or Federal Court. HATE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THE CITY OF DOVER.”
Due to the nature of the graffiti and the references made, the Dover Police Department contacted the Delaware Department of Justice Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust. Prosecutors are reviewing the case to determine if hate crime charges are warranted. However, the investigation has not yet established the necessary elements for a successful hate crime prosecution.
“The [Dover Police] Department also respects the role of the DOJ when the facts are evaluated and prosecutorial decisions are made in alignment with State Statutes and existing case law," said Chief Thomas Johnson for the Dover Police Department. "This case presents another opportunity to reaffirm our stance against hate crimes while we wait and see what our system determines is the best assessment of the facts before us.”
Anyone with information or who may have been a victim of similar vandalism is encouraged to contact Detective Goad at 302-736-7143.