A Wilmington man is in custody after he barricaded himself in a local Wawa Saturday night, May 9, 2026, and allegedly set a fire which injured another employee.
State Police were called to the convenience store on Limestone Road around 8:20 p.m.
Raul Zavala
When troopers arrived, Raul Zavala, 36, had barricade himself and two co-workers in the manager’s office.
Apparently, Zavala had been called into the office regarding an incident earlier in the day.
Once inside, Zavala allegedly pulled out a knife and wouldn’t allow anyone to leave.
Troopers say he later set a fire which quickly spread, forcing him to exit the office – where he was Tased by officers and apprehended.
One of the workers suffered minor injuries. Zavala was also being treated for burns.
He’s now charged with multiple felony counts of aggravated menacing, unlawful imprisonment, and arson.
Mike Phillips
Get WDEL’s top stories sent right to your email. Click here to signup for WDEL’s Afternoon Edition.
And get breaking news notifications sent right to your mobile device. Click here to download the WDEL app – which gives you easy on-the-go access to WDEL’s stream.