Source: DSP
The Delaware State Police and the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office have taken 36-year-old Raul Zavala, of Wilmington, Delaware, into custody after he barricaded himself and set a fire at a Wawa in Wilmington on Saturday night.
On May 9, 2026, at approximately 8:20 p.m., troopers responded to Wawa, located at 2030 Limestone Road in Wilmington, for a report of terroristic threatening. When troopers arrived, they encountered Raul Zavala, who barricaded himself and two co-workers, in the manager’s office. Zavala refused commands to exit and ultimately set fire to the electrical closet inside the office, which quickly spread. As a result of the fire, Zavala was forced to exit the office where he was taken into custody following a taser deployment.
One of the co-workers, a 21-year-old man from Wilmington, Delaware, was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. The second co-worker, a 50-year-old woman also from Wilmington, Delaware, was uninjured.
The Delaware State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit assumed the investigation. Detectives learned that prior to the arrival of troopers, the male co-worker entered the office to speak with Zavala about an incident earlier in the night. Zavala initially slammed the door on the co-worker but then let him inside and upon entering Zavala assaulted the co-worker and threatened further harm if he left the room. The female co-worker was alerted to the incident and responded to the office. Once inside, Zavala brandished a knife, threatening both of them and refused to allow them to leave the room. When troopers attempted to enter the office, Zavala ran into the electrical closet, locked the door, and the two co-workers escaped.
Zavala was taken to an area hospital for burn injuries. Once released from the hospital, he will be charged with the crimes listed below.
- Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
- Aggravated Menacing (Felony) – 2 counts
- Unlawful Imprisonment (Felony) – 2 counts
- Arson 2nd Degree (Felony)
- Criminal Mischief – $5,000 or More (Felony)
- Assault 3rd Degree
Delaware State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit continues to investigate this incident. Detectives are asking anyone who witnessed this incident or has relevant information to contact Detective D. Armstrong at (302) 365-8440. Information may also be provided by sending a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police (Opens in a new window.) or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers (Opens in a new window.) at 1-800-847-3333.
If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of a crime, or you have lost a loved one to a sudden death and need assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit / Delaware Victim Center (Opens in a new window.) is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll-free hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). You may also email the Victim Services Unit at DSP_VictimServicesMail@delaware.gov.
