A group of teenagers covering their faces assaulted Delaware liquor store clerks in a brazen robbery attempt caught on surveillance camera.
WARNING: This raw video could be disturbing to some viewers
The dramatic scene played out over a period of only about 30 seconds inside Cutrona Liquors on N Market Street in Wilmington on Thursday night.
Delaware State Police said that the assault began around 9:15 p.m. when one young man struck a 58-year-old clerk with a blunt object near the front of the store. That worker fled the store and called 911 as the assault continued inside the store.
One suspect can be seen pointing a gun at a 66-year-old clerk after pushing the man behind the counter.
Police say that the clerk refused to cooperate with the suspects’ request for cash. In the video you can see the clerk grab a baseball bat and start swinging. The armed suspect then fires twice, striking the clerk in the upper body.
Medics later transported the unidentified clerk to the hospital with what police say appeared to be life-threatening injuries.
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After the gunfire, all four young people quickly fled the store empty-handed aside from one bottle of booze, according to investigators.
Police launched an investigation and wound up arresting Obediah York-James a short time later. Police charged York-James as an adult with robbery, assault, firearm possession and conspiracy and sent him to New Castle County jail in lieu of $160,000 cash bail.
The search continued Monday for the other three suspects – described by police as males in their mid- to late-teens.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. D. May at 302-365-8439 or submit an anonymous tip.
