NEWARK, DE – A North Carolina woman has been arrested and charged for vehicle theft and charged on a felony charge of receiving stolen property.
The investigation began on Saturday when at 7 pm, a Newark Police officer patrolling the 1100-block of South College Avenue observed a vehicle stopped and blocking the driveway of a business.
“The officer contacted the driver and determined that the vehicle was not displaying a registration plate. During the course of the investigation, the vehicle was found to have been reported stolen in Raleigh, North Carolina,” the Newark Police Department said today.
The driver, Jaylah Byers, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was taken into custody without incident.
Byers was transported to Newark Police headquarters where she was charged with felony Receiving Stolen Property and released on a $500 bail.
According to police, the next day, at 7:24 pm, Newark Police responded to a business in the 600-block of South College Avenue for a report of a vehicle theft that had just occurred.
“Responding officers found that the victim parked his vehicle, a 2010 Mazda 3, in the parking lot of Stadium Liquors at 610 South College Avenue. The victim left the vehicle running while he went inside the business,” police said. “As he came out of the business, he observed the vehicle driving southbound on South College Avenue operated by a black female that he observed on the sidewalk prior to the theft.”
A short time later, Newark Police officers in the area observed the vehicle entering Interstate 95 northbound.
“Newark police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle. The vehicle did not stop and officers pursued the vehicle on I-95 to the area of SR 273 and Chapman Road. The pursuit was terminated at that point for the safety of the public,” the department said. “Using area surveillance video and witness statements, officers determined that Byers was the suspect who stole the vehicle and fled from Newark Police.”
The vehicle, a blue 2010 Mazda 3, MD 9EG5016, has not been recovered.
She is now a fugitive from justice.