Delaware

Police say Delaware teacher solicited student for sex on Instagram

Published

9 months ago

March 25, 2025

Police say Delaware teacher solicited student for sex on Instagram

In February, police charged George V. Kirk Middle School teacher David DiFilippo with sexual solicitation of a 13-year-old student. Authorities said DiFilippo was grooming the girl for sex with explicit messages and once rubbed her leg while she was alone with him in his classroom. The school is in the Christina School District.

Authorities announced Monday’s arrest of Vila within hours of him being taken into custody, accompanied by the promise to root out child predators at schools.

“Any case with a child victim is heinous. Cases where the abuser held a position of trust are beyond the pale,” Attorney General Kathy Jennings said in a written statement. “Child predators are our priority. We will find them, we will charge them without compromise, and we will bring them to justice.”

Unlike the Oliver case, where Red Clay officials never notified families about the fact that Oliver was under investigation or arrested, George Read’s principal sent school families a notice of a pending investigation on March 17, the day police interviewed the girl’s parents about Vila.

The letter from Principal Nick Wolfe didn’t say a teacher was suspected of soliciting a student but said the matter involved “a weekend incident involving members of the [school] community” and that “students were not in danger.”

After Monday’s arrest, district spokeswoman Lauren Wilson said in a statement that did not identify Vila that a George Read employee had been charged with “multiple criminal offenses” and that Colonial officials are “cooperating fully.”

Wilson’s statement noted that “the staff member has not been in the presence of students since the incident was reported.”

Wilson would not respond to questions from WHYY News about Wilson’s tenure teaching at George Read or coaching baseball and lacrosse at William Penn High School.

But Jennings’ office confirmed that he coached lacrosse in 2021 and 2022, and until the sex solicitation investigation began last week, Vila was assistant coach for the junior varsity baseball team.

Middle school gym teacher Ricardo Vila Jr. coached baseball and lacrosse at William Penn High. (Colonial School District)

State payroll records, however, show that Vila began working for Colonial in 2020. Last year, Vila was paid $72,100 by Colonial, including $5,000 in unspecified extra pay.

Anyone with information about Vila and possible criminal activity is urged to contact state police Det. Kevin Kelleher at 302-365-8436.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the description of how state police were notified of the alleged contact between Vila and the student.

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Delaware

State police investigating 3-vehicle crash in Camden-Wyoming area

Published

6 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

State police investigating 3-vehicle crash in Camden-Wyoming area

Delaware State Police are investigating a three-vehicle crash in the Camden-Wyoming area that left one man dead on Dec. 20.

The crash happened around 6 p.m. on Westville Road between Allabands Mill Road and Mallard Drive. Police said a Ford Fusion was traveling west, while a RAM 2500 towing a utility trailer headed east with a Chevrolet Suburban behind it.

Investigators say the Suburban tried to pass the RAM in a no-passing zone and sideswiped the Ford Fusion. As it moved back into the eastbound lane, the Suburban struck the front driver’s side of the RAM. The SUV then swerved on and off the road before leaving the roadway, hitting a tree and catching fire.

The driver of the Suburban, an 84-year-old Camden-Wyoming man, died at the scene. His name has not been released pending family notification. The drivers of the RAM, a 31-year-old Dover man, and the Ford Fusion, a 37-year-old Hartly man, were not injured, according to reports.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information, surveillance or dash camera footage is asked to contact Delaware State Police Sgt. J. Jefferson at 302-365-8484. Tips may also be submitted through a private message to Delaware State Police on Facebook or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-847-3333.

To share your community news and activities with our audience, join Delaware Voices Uplifted on Facebook. Nonprofits, community groups and service providers are welcome to submit their information to be added to our Community Resources Map. Contact staff reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

1 killed in Delaware County apartment fire: Dozens of residents displaced

Published

18 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

1 killed in Delaware County apartment fire: Dozens of residents displaced

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UPPER DARBY TOWNSHIP, Pa. – An apartment fire in Delaware County killed one person and injured seven on Saturday, while displacing dozens more.

Upper Darby apartment fire

What we know:

Firefighters were called out to the Llanerch Place apartment building on Township Line Road in Upper Darby Township around 10:30 a.m. Saturday. When they got there, they found a fire on the second floor of the three-story building.

Firefighters pulled two people from the flames and paramedics took them to the hospital. One of them died at the hospital, according to the Upper Darby Township Fire Department. The other is in critical condition.

Six other people were also injured, but officials said none of their injuries were life-threatening.

Crews were eventually able to put out the fire, but there was significant damage to the building, between fire, smoke and water damage.

The approximately 75 people who live in the building were all displaced by the fire.

What we don’t know:

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. The UDFD Fire Marshalls, the Upper Darby Township Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshalls are investigating the fire.

The Source: Information in this story is from the Upper Darby Township Fire Department.

Delaware CountyCrime & Public Safety

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Delaware

State Police Investigating a Single-Vehicle Fatal Crash in Delmar – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

State Police Investigating a Single-Vehicle Fatal Crash in Delmar – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Date Posted: Saturday, December 20th, 2025

Delaware State Police are investigating a single-vehicle fatal crash that occurred Friday evening in Delmar.

On December 19, 2025, at approximately 6:30 p.m., a Toyota Tundra was traveling westbound on Bacons Road, just west of Bi State Boulevard. As the vehicle approached a left-hand curve, it exited the north edge of the roadway, struck a utility pole, and overturned multiple times.

The driver, a 24-year-old man from Delmar, Delaware, was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is being withheld until his family is notified.

Bacons Road was closed for approximately 7 hours while members of the Delaware State Police Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit conducted their on-scene investigation and utility crews replaced the damaged pole.

The investigation is ongoing. Troopers ask anyone who witnessed the crash to contact Master Corporal R. Albert at (302) 703- 3266. Information may also be provided by sending a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.

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 need assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit / Delaware Victim Center 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.