OCEAN VIEW, Del. - A high-speed pursuit through Ocean View and Selbyville on Tuesday evening ended with the arrest of a Brooklyn man and the discovery of what is suspected to be stolen merchandise, as police continue to search for a second person who fled the scene.
On April 8 around 7 p.m., an Ocean View Police Department officer reportedly spotted a gray Nissan Altima with New York plates parked at an unoccupied home in the Country Estates development. When the officer attempted a traffic stop on Central Avenue near Beaverdam Road, the car sped off.
According to police, the driver fled recklessly through local roads, forcing several cars off the road. The chase escalated when the Altima crashed through a fence at Coastal Flooring on Route 54 near Selbyville before continuing into the Atlantic Lakes subdivision.
There, a passenger described as a Black woman jumped from the moving car and ran away. She remains unidentified and at large say police.
The driver, identified as 31-year-old Trumane Anthony Gibbs of Brooklyn, New York, ultimately stopped the car on Glennaker Lane before running off. Officers caught him behind a home on Tabernacle Lane.
The driver, identified as 31-year-old Trumane Anthony Gibbs of Brooklyn, New York, ultimately stopped the car on Glennaker Lane before running off. Officers caught him behind a home on Tabernacle Lane. (Ocean View PD)
A search of the car revealed a large quantity of over-the-counter medications believed to have been stolen from a local pharmacy. Investigators suspect Gibbs and the woman may be connected to a larger organized retail theft ring.
Gibbs faces multiple charges, including:
Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal (Class G felony)
Offensive Touching of Another with Saliva
Offensive Touching of a Law Enforcement Officer
Driving Without a License
He also received citations for traffic violations such as reckless driving over 90 mph, failing to remain in a single lane and running stop signs. He was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $3,750 cash bail.
“This incident highlights the dangers our officers face when individuals choose to flee from lawful traffic stops," Ocean View Police Chief Kenneth McLaughlin said. "We will continue working to identify and apprehend the second suspect and determine the full extent of their involvement in retail theft activity.”
Anyone with information is urged to call the Ocean View Police Department at 302-539-1111.