(Wilmington, De 19804) Last Monday (July 11), detectives from the New Castle County Division of Police Criminal Investigations Unit were made aware that a  15-year-old student came forward and reported that they were having a sexual relationship with their teacher “Mr. James”.

 The detectives’ investigation revealed  that “Mr. James” was a teacher at High Road School of Delaware located on 1200 N French Street in the City of Wilmington.

James L. Garfield was identified by detectives as the teacher at the school and the victim further positively identified him. Evidence was recovered that corroborated the disclosures.

Earlier today (July 15^th) a search warrant was authored and executed for Garfield’s  residence located on the unit block of Norway Avenue. He was taken into custody and transported to police headquarters.

There he was charged with two counts of felony Rape 3^rd degree Sexual Penetration Victim Under 16 Years Old, and two counts of felony Sexual Abuse of a Child by a Person of Trust 1^st Degree.  He was arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to  Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in lieu of $200,000 cash bail.

Based on this investigation, the Division is concerned there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward. Detectives are asking anyone with any information pertaining to this investigation or the defendant James Garfield to contact Detective Alex Laux at (302)395-2756 or via e-mail Alex.Laux@newcastlede.gov or by calling the New Castle County Division of Police non-emergency number at 302-573-2800.

Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or visit us on Facebook (IM) at New Castle County Police.

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of a crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and are in need of assistance, the New Castle County Division of Police Victim Services Unit is available to offer you support and resources through (302)-395-8000.

(Newark, De 19702) Yesterday afternoon (July 14), patrol officers from the New Castle County Division of Police were dispatched to the 2000 block of Olden Ave in the community of Christiana Village Townhouses reference to a domestic argument with a weapon.

 Prior to their arrival,  the officers learned that 34-year-old Daniel Hill had armed himself with a handgun and fired it once inside of his residence, in the direction of his wife.

He then left the residence and fired multiple rounds into the front of his vehicle.  When the police arrived, the officers located Hill walking on the road. The officers were then able to take him into custody without further incident.

Detectives from the New Castle County Division of Police Criminal Investigations Unit arrived at the scene and assumed the investigation.

Hill was charged with one count of felony Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, one count of felony Reckless Endangering 1^st, one count of misdemeanor Possession of a Firearm while under the Influence of Alcohol, and one count of NCC County Code Violation Discharge a Weapon North of the Canal.  He was arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court 11 and held in lieu of $9001.00 secured bail.

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On July 14, 2022, Michael Carnevale, a former officer with the New Castle County Division of Police pled guilty to one count of offensive touching in relation to a use of force incident that occurred while he was on duty.  The incident, which occurred on August 30, 2021, took place within the cell block area of Police Headquarters and involved a sixteen-year-old female. The incident was reported to supervision by other police officers and was recorded on internal video surveillance. Mr. Carnevale was immediately placed on administrative leave when the incident was reported, and simultaneous investigations were conducted by the Division of Police Criminal Investigations Unit, the Department of Justice, and the Division of Police Professional Standards Unit. 

The video evidence was not previously released by the Division due to the pending criminal investigation. However, due to the matter now being adjudicated by the Superior Court, the Division of Police is releasing footage of the encounter between the juvenile victim and Mr. Carnevale.

Mr. Carnevale retired in October 2021 while under investigation and prior to his indictment.  Mr. Carnevale has been decertified by the Council on Police Training and as part of the plea agreement, he has agreed to never seek employment or serve in a law enforcement capacity in the future.

Colonel Joseph Bloch, Chief of the New Castle County Division of Police issued the following statement:

“The actions of Mr. Carnevale seen in the video are not within the policies and procedures of the New Castle County Police and do not reflect the values and standards of the Division. Although I am disgusted that this incident took place, I am pleased that through the hard work of the Department of Justice – Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust and our internal investigators, Mr. Carnevale was held accountable for his actions and will never serve in law enforcement again.  The New Castle County Division of Police prides itself on the relationships we have built within the communities we serve. I am hopeful that our immediate response to this incident demonstrates our commitment to holding ourselves accountable and builds upon the public trust that we have established over many years of dedicated service.”

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