Man Sets Fire Inside Wilmington Wawa After Holding Co-Workers at Knifepoint
State of DE - A Wilmington man is facing multiple felony charges after barricading himself and two co-workers inside a Wawa store, threatening them with a knife, and setting fire to an electrical closet Saturday night.
The incident happened on May 9, 2026, at approximately 8:20 p.m. at the Wawa located at 2030 Limestone Road in Wilmington, Delaware. Delaware State Police troopers were called to the store after reports of terroristic threatening.
When troopers arrived, they found 36-year-old Raul Zavala inside the manager's office with two co-workers. Zavala refused orders to come out and would not allow the others to leave.
According to investigators, the trouble started before police arrived. A 21-year-old male co-worker went to the office to speak with Zavala about an earlier incident. Zavala slammed the door on him at first but then let him inside, where he assaulted the man and threatened further harm if he tried to leave.
A 50-year-old female co-worker heard what was happening and went to the office to help. Once she was inside, Zavala pulled out a knife and threatened both of them, refusing to let either of them go.
When troopers tried to enter the office, Zavala ran into an electrical closet and locked the door. That gave the two co-workers the chance to escape.
Zavala then set fire to the electrical closet. The fire spread quickly, and Zavala was forced out of the room. Troopers took him into custody after deploying a taser.
The 21-year-old male co-worker was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. The female co-worker was not hurt. Zavala was also transported to a hospital for burn injuries.
Once released from the hospital, Zavala will be charged with the following:
- 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
The Delaware State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit is continuing to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective D. Armstrong at (302) 365-8440.
Tips can also be submitted by sending a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.
