Hatchet Robber Terrorizes Home Depot Employees / Patrons

Location: Home Depot, 3600 Miller Road, Miller Road Shopping Center, Wilmington, Delaware

Date of Occurrence: Thursday, May 13th, 2010, at 8:00 p.m.

Suspect(s): Andre Walker, 45, of Channing Drive, Bear, Delaware

Resume: At approximately 8:00 p.m. last evening, Troopers were dispatched to the Home Depot on Miller Road in reference to a subject robbing the business with a hatchet.

This investigation revealed Mr. Andre Walker entered the business and selected an orange bucket and hatchet from display. He made his way over to the ‘Garden Center’ and placed the merchandise on the counter. The clerk rang up both items and started to complete the sale. Mr. Walker then grabbed the hatchet and demanded cash. He also grabbed the female employee by her shirt.

The suspect then started swinging the hatchet at the register damaging it. He took the register and threw it to the ground where he started to hit it with the hatchet again until it opened. Walker grabbed the cash and fled the store.

Once in the parking lot, Walker approached a vehicle occupied by a citizen who was sitting in his car. Walker got into the passenger side of the car and surprised the driver. It was unknown what his intentions were; however, Walker then exited the vehicle and started walking back toward the Home Depot. A Home Depot Manager confronted Walker at which time he started to swing the hatchet at him too.

Walker fled the scene and headed east. The State Police dispatcher center, RECOM, issued a broadcast to all police agencies to be on the lookout for Walker. A Wilmington Police Officer spotted Walker along the 500 block of West 37th Street. Walker, who was still holding the hatchet, refused to stop when told to do so and resisted arrest when officers confronted him. A Wilmington Police Officer tased him and took him into custody without further incident.

Andre Walker was formally charged with Robbery 1st (felony), Possession of a Deadly Weapon during the Commission of a Felony (felony), two counts of Aggravated Menacing (felony), Criminal Mischief (misdemeanor), Offensive Touching (misdemeanor) as well as a charge from the Wilmington Police Department for Resisting Arrest (misdemeanor). He was turned over to the Department of Corrections in lieu of a $60,750 secured bond.