In November 2025, Officers with the New Castle County Division of Police began investigating a series of motor vehicle thefts and attempted thefts in the Newark area. The incidents included the attempted theft of a Dodge Charger SRT and the theft of a Honda Accord.
While the investigation remained ongoing, two Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Packs were stolen during similar incidents in the Bear area in January 2026. Detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigations Unit assumed both investigations and identified similarities among the incidents, ultimately linking the vehicle thefts.
Through an extensive investigation, Detectives identified 27-year-old James Timmons of Philadelphia, PA, as the suspect. Detectives determined that Timmons would damage the vehicles to gain entry, then use a key fob reprogramming device to start and steal them.
Timmons was later located in Philadelphia and extradited to New Castle County Police Headquarters, where he was charged with the following offenses:
• Three felony counts of Possession of Burglar’s Tools
• Three felony counts of Theft of a Motor Vehicle
• One felony count of Attempted Theft of a Motor Vehicle
• Three felony counts of Conspiracy Second Degree
• Three misdemeanor counts of Criminal Mischief
Timmons was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $15,001 cash bail.
Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding recent thefts of Dodge performance vehicles or Honda vehicles to contact Detective Silverman at 302-395-8131 or by email at Caroline.Silverman@newcastlede.gov. Tips may also be provided by calling the New Castle County Division of Police non-emergency number at 302-573-2800.
James Timmons – 27