10 TUESDAY, MAY 20- THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014 NEWS Cape Gazette
Trials set for three
accused of kidnapping
By Ryan Mavity
ryanm@capegazette.com
Three teenagers accused of
carjacking and kidnapping an
89-year-old Slaughter Neck
woman are scheduled for jury
trials beginning Monday, June 23.
Defendants Rondaiges Harper,
19, Jackeline Perez, 16 and Junia
McDonald, 15, will be tried sepa-
rately beginning with Harper in
June. McDonald will go to trial
Monday, Aug. 11, while Perez is
scheduled for trial Monday, Oct.
13.
A fourth teen, Phillip Brewer,
19, pleaded guilty to second-de-
gree carjacking, three counts of
second-degree kidnapping and
four counts of second-degree
conspiracy. Brewer has agreed to
testify against Harper, Perez and
McDonald.
According to Delaware State
Police, on March 18, 2013, Mc-
Donald and Perez hitched a ride
with 89-year-old Margaret Smith
before stealing her car keys, rob-
bing her of $500 and locking her
in the trunk of her 1991 Buick Le
Sabre. Police said Brewer and
Harper later joined the girls, and
all four spent the night at a Sea-
ford hotel, with Smith still locked
in the trunk. Two days after ab-
ducting her, the teens dumped
Smith in a graveyard, where she
was found, disoriented, by a pass-
erby. Brewer later testified that
Perez proposed burning the car
with Smith inside.
Defense attorneys for Harper,
Jackeline Perez Junia McDonald
Perez and McDonald pushed to
have them tried as juveniles, but
Delaware Superior Court Judge
Richard Stokes ruled that the
severity of the crime warranted
trying the teens as adults.
In his ruling, Stokes said Perez
and McDonald were capable
Phillip Brewer R. Harper
of terrible depravity, showing a
total disregard for Smith's safety
and that they knew what they
were doing, While Harper was
not part of the original kidnap-
ping, Stokes said he was aware of
Smith being locked in the trunk
and did nothing to help.
Rob Arlett joins crowded
District 5 county council race
Frankford Republican
By Ron MacArthur
ronm@capegazette.com
Another candidate has entered
the campaign for the Sussex
County District 5 seat.
Republican Rob Arlett, 47, of
Frankford said he is running for
office because people of integ-
rity, principles and faith must be
is 38th District chair
involved in the political process
at all levels.
Among his goals are rebuilding
the economy, instilling creative
thinking and networking to bring
jobs to Sussex, establishing a
council code of ethics and re-
storing transparency to the use
of council funds. He is also inter-
ested in renewal and attention
to western Sussex. "I want to
restore integrity to the political
process," Arlett said.
"There is not, nor will there be,
any negative controversy, hidden
agendas or character problems
with my campaign or my desire
to serve Sussex County," he said.
Arlett moved to Frankford
from Virginia in 2006 with his
wife, Lorna, and their two chil-
dren. He owns Beach Bound
Realty and has served as vice
chairman and chairman of the
Sussex County Association of
Realtors Public Policy Commit-
tee; he is also a Delaware political
action committee trustee. Arlett
has served as Republican chair-
man of the
38th Represen-
tative District
since last year.
He was
a founding
member and
organizer for
Operation Seas
the Day, a com-
Rob Arlett munity-based
organization
that provides a free beach week
to 25 wounded warriors and their
families near Bethany Beach.
The son of a career U.S. Navy
officer, he enlisted in the U.S.
Naval Reserve as an intelligence
specialist while attending George
Mason University in Virginia. In
that capacity, he held a top secret
security clearance.
The seat is currently held by
Republican Vance Phillips of
Laurel, who is seeking a fifth
term. Republican Harry. Orvin
Strickler of Frankford and Demo-
crats Bob Wheatley of Laurel and
Brad Connor of Dagsboro have
also fried for the District 5 seat.
District 5 extends from the
Maryland line to the Atlantic
Ocean, including the commu-
nities of Dagsboro, Delmar,
Fenwick Island, Frankford,
Laurel, Millville, Millsboro, Sel-
byville and South Bethany.
Cape
Continued from page I
Milton and H.O. Brittingham el-
ementaries would walk to school
under the new plan, Bassett said.
He said he does not know for
certain which neighborhoods
would be affected except for
Shipbuilders Village in Milton,
where students ride to Milton
Elementary although it is a short
walk to the school.
Richardson said students will
not be required to walk to Bea-
con Middle because it is too
dangerous to walk on Route 24;
many neighborhood children
within a half mile of Rehoboth
Elementary School also would
continue riding buses because it
wotfld be too dangerous for them
to cross Route 1 and the Lewes-
Rehoboth Canal. Board member
Jen Burton said she was reluctant
to approve the plan until she has
more details on which students
would walk to school.
"I feel like this is so quick that
I don't even have a map of where
kids are going to be walking,"
she said.
That detail is coming, Bas-
sett said, as he and Richardson
review walk routes in person to
determine the routes are safe
with no hazards. Once safe walk-
ing routes are established, he
said, he hopes to inform parents
of the details, probably within
three months.
Board member Andy Lewis
agreed the district needs a new
bus plan.
"We're going to need to do
something next year with buses,"
he said. "Unfortunately, there
are kids that are going to have
to walk."
Although more students may
have to walk, those who ride
buses will have much shorter
rides, Bassett said.
Bus rides for students in out-
lying areas often last more than
an hour. Double bus runs would
give each school more buses,
allowing for shorter routes and
ride times.
Under a double-run system,
the number of buses at the mid-
dle schools would more than
double. Mariner Middle would
go from nine buses to 25, and
Beacon would go from eight to
23, according to the plan.
The elementary schools also
would receive one or two more
buses for shorter bus routes,
Bassett said. However, in order
to implement a double-run sys-
tem, Bassett said, the middle
schools would have to start a
half-hour earlier at 7:30 a.m., and
the elementary schools would all
have to start at 8:30 a.m. Middle
schools would dismiss at 2:30
p.m. and elementary schools at
3:30 p.m.
Current start times vary by
school: Shields Elementary
School hours are 8:20 a.m. to 3:20
p.m.; H.O. Brittingham and Mil-
ton elementaries are 7:20 a.m. to
2:20 p.m.; Rehoboth Elementary
hours are 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
At the middle schools, Beacon
hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. while
Mariner is 7:55 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.,
and Cape Henlopen High School
7:55 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.
Cape school boardwill discuss
the new transportation plan for
approval at its meeting at 6 p.m.,
Thursday, May 22, in the cafete-
ria of Beacon Middle School.
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FILE PHOTO
MORE STUDENTS WILL WALK, and fewer will ride buses under a new transportation plan for the Cape Henlopen
School District.
