THEY WENT POSTAL
3 Delco men charged in brutal beating of mailman
Three Delaware County men have been charged in connection with a “brutal attack” on a mailman who was doing his rounds in Morton, officials said.
Attorney General Bruce R. Beemer Friday announced the arrests and termed the attack a “brutal attack on a public servant performing his official duties.”
The charges stem from an incident last January in which a U.S. letter carrier was attacked while delivering mail in the borough. The worker suffered injuries to his head, back and arms as he was punched more than 10 times during the Jan. 30 assault, investigators reported in a criminal complaint.
Facing charges are Mark Timothy White, 29, of the 200 block of Green Street, in the Holmes section of Ridley Township; Derek Alonzo Dawson, 23, of the first block of West Ridley Avenue, Ridley Park; and Joseph Douglas Marion, 20, of the 300 block of North Morton Avenue, Morton.
“This was a brutal attack on a public servant performing his official duties,” Beemer said. “Our office is fully committed to ensuring the individuals who carried out this attack are held responsible for their actions.”
The arrests were the result of an investigation by the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The case was referred to the state Attorney General’s office by the Delaware County District Attorney’s office.
A criminal complain filed in support of the charges gave this account of the confrontation:
The assault occurred on Harding Avenue in Morton. The driver of a Nissan vehicle pulled up and stopped directly in front of the postal carrier’s vehicle. As the postal carrier exited to deliver mail to residences in the area, the driver of the Nissan allegedly started a confrontation.
The driver asked why the postal carrier was blocking the road and yelled, “This is my hood,” investigators reported. Later, as the postal carrier attempted to walk by, one of the individuals from the Nissan allegedly slapped a piece of mail from the carrier’s hand.
As he bent over to pick it up, the postal carrier said he was punched in the back of the head. Two other individuals from the Nissan allegedly joined in on the assault as the postal carrier was punched and kicked on the ground.
All three defendants are charged with one count each of attempted aggravated assault, attempted aggravated assault/criminal conspiracy, simple assault, simple assault/criminal conspiracy, harassment and disorderly conduct. Each defendant was remanded to Delaware County’s prison in lieu of $500,000 bail. Preliminary hearings are tentatively scheduled for Oct. 27.
Beemer thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Morton Police Department for their work on the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Noel Ann DeSantis of the Office of Attorney General’s Criminal Prosecutions Section.
“This was a brutal attack on a public servant performing his official duties. Our office is fully committed to ensuring the individuals who carried out this attack are held responsible for their actions.”
— Attorney General Bruce R. Beemer