MILFORD, DELAWARE (6/21/2016) A 33-year-old Milford man was arrested and charged in the armed robbery Monday of a downtown store and kidnapping of an employee, city police said this morning.
The robbery happened at the Market International Store in the first block of S. Walnut St.
Jose R. Garcia walked into the store holding a knife, threatening to kill a store employee if she didn’t turn over all of the store’s money, Sgt. Dwight Young said.
After she turned over money, Young said, “he then grabbed her by her neck and began to drag her to the back of the store, while saying that he was going to sexually assault her.”
She was able to break free and fled, and Garcia fled on foot, Young said.
He was later arrested while hiding in a shed behind a nearby home on Southeast Second Street.
Young said police later recovered a portion of the money Garcia had attempted to hide.
“While in custody at the Milford Police Department, Garcia attempted to flee from the holding cell through the ventilation system in the ceiling. Garcia also attempted to make weapons out of items in the holding cell in order to use the weapons to attack Milford police when they enter the holding cell,” Young said.
Police seized the weapons before Garcia was able to use them, Young said.
Garcia was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery, possession of a deadly weapon during commission of a felony, second-degree kidnapping, aggravated menacing, possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited, tampering with physical evidence, second-degree attempted escape, terroristic threatening, third-degree assault and criminal mischief under $1,000.
He was being held at Sussex Correctional Institution near Georgetown in lieu of $104,250 secured bond.
Young said Garcia was also wanted on Milford police warrants for failure to verify as a registered sex offender and other warrants from Georgtown police.