A rock might have taken care of the first part of breaking into a Delaware gas station, but police say the remaining glass required a slightly more unconventional tool. Dover Police say 32-year-old Keith Rollerson used a crutch to finish clearing a broken doorway before reaching inside, unlocking the business and stealing approximately $60 worth of tobacco products.
Officers were called to the Speedmart/Valero at 530 N. DuPont Highway at approximately 6:07 a.m. on September 17 for a report of a man breaking into the business. By the time they arrived, they found a shattered glass entry door and adjacent window, but no suspect.
Detectives reviewing surveillance footage determined that the suspect first used a rock to break the glass before using a crutch to clear away what remained, according to police. He then reached through the opening to unlock the door, entered the business, and loaded approximately $60 worth of tobacco products into a backpack before leaving.
For all that effort, police estimated the damage at approximately $3,000, about 50 times the value of the tobacco taken. Detectives did not immediately have their suspect, but another call roughly two and a half hours later would give them considerably more to work with.
Police Find Man Fleeing From Stolen Vehicle Hours Later
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At approximately 8:38 a.m., Dover officers responded to a Wawa after someone reported that a vehicle had been stolen from the parking lot. Police say the operator had left the vehicle running and unsecured before it was taken.
Officers located the stolen vehicle nearby and saw a man fleeing from it, leading to a brief foot pursuit. Police caught the man and identified him as Rollerson, who detectives subsequently connected to the earlier Speedmart/Valero burglary.
Investigators say surveillance footage and clothing found in Rollerson’s possession helped them identify him as the burglary suspect. Police also say he had the tobacco products stolen from the gas station in his possession when he was taken into custody.
Rollerson Faces Charges in Both Investigations
Dover Police charged Rollerson with third-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, theft under $1,500, and criminal mischief over $1,000 in connection with the investigation. He was also charged with motor vehicle theft and resisting arrest, along with two counts each of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a prescription drug without a prescription.
The department’s release does not provide additional details about the drug charges or identify the substances involved. Likewise, while police say Rollerson was found fleeing in the stolen vehicle and was charged with stealing it, the release does not describe anyone who witnessed the vehicle being taken from the Wawa parking lot.
A Delaware Department of Correction custody record on VINELink reviewed for this story provides a subsequent update not included in the police release. The record lists Rollerson as out of custody after bonding out, with his custody status updated at 10:41 a.m. on September 18.
$60 Tobacco Theft Leaves Behind $3,000 in Damage
The gas station burglary left a particularly lopsided set of numbers, with police estimating $3,000 in property damage and approximately $60 in stolen tobacco. That means the damage was estimated at 50 times the value of what detectives say was taken from inside.
The investigation also moved quickly from surveillance footage to an arrest, with the original burglary call coming at 6:07 a.m. and the stolen-vehicle call arriving at 8:38 a.m. Detectives say the footage, Rollerson’s clothing and the tobacco products found in his possession ultimately connected him to the earlier break-in.
Rollerson has since bonded out, according to the Department of Corrections custody record, but that status does not resolve the charges filed against him. The allegations described by Dover Police remain pending and should not be treated as convictions unless established through subsequent court proceedings.