The Delaware State Police arrested 47-year-old Ron Wardlaw and 43-year-old Lashonda Rooks, both of Baltimore, Maryland, following a shoplifting investigation Wednesday afternoon in Newark that also led to drug charges.
On February 18, 2026, at approximately 4 p.m., troopers responded to Dick’s Sporting Goods on Center Drive for a report of a shoplifting in progress. Investigators say Wardlaw and Rooks selected more than $3,300 worth of merchandise while inside the store.
According to police, Rooks entered a fitting room with items, while Wardlaw exited the store and left a shopping cart filled with merchandise near the front entrance. Authorities learned Wardlaw then spoke with an unidentified third accomplice who entered the store looking for the cart, but employees had already recovered the merchandise.
When troopers arrived, Wardlaw attempted to leave in a vehicle but was stopped nearby. Officers located Rooks inside a fitting room, where she was allegedly cutting security tags off merchandise with a tool. Both were taken into custody without incident. The third suspect fled before police arrived.
During a search of the vehicle, troopers discovered approximately 17.85 grams of suspected heroin.
Wardlaw was charged with:
Possession of Controlled Substance Tier 3 Quantity (Felony)
Attempted Theft – Organized Retail Crime Over $1,500 (Felony)
Conspiracy 2nd Degree (Felony)
He was arraigned and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $60,000 secured bond.
Rooks was charged with:
Possession of Controlled Substance Tier 3 Quantity (Felony)
Possession of Shoplifters Tools or Instruments Facilitating Theft (Felony)
Attempted Theft – Organized Retail Crime Over $1,500 (Felony)
Conspiracy 2nd Degree (Felony)
She was arraigned and committed to the Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on a $61,000 secured bond.
