Man Turns Himself In After Trashing Dewey Beach Bar

Dewey Beach, DE - A Middletown man turned himself in to police Saturday after surveillance footage connected him to thousands of dollars in damage at a popular Dewey Beach restaurant.

The Dewey Beach Police Department arrested Joseph Hoyle, 23, in connection with a burglary and vandalism incident at Woody's Dewey Beach, located at 1904 Coastal Highway.

Restaurant management called police on the morning of May 23, 2026, after arriving to find the outdoor deck area heavily damaged. Officers pulled surveillance footage from the scene, which showed Hoyle entering the business around 2:30 a.m.

Investigators determined that Hoyle went onto the deck and turned over tables, damaged furniture, and destroyed an outdoor television valued at approximately $5,600. Total damage to the property is estimated at $6,140.

Witnesses told police they saw Hoyle on the deck that night but assumed he was an employee. Because of the enclosed structure, they did not see any criminal activity take place.

Hoyle was not unknown to the department. Police noted he had been contacted and released in a previous, unrelated incident.

On May 24, 2026, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Hoyle walked into the Dewey Beach Police Department and turned himself in. He was charged with Burglary Third Degree, a felony, Criminal Mischief involving property damage of $5,000 or more, also a felony, and Criminal Trespass Second Degree, a misdemeanor.

Hoyle was arraigned before Justice of the Peace Court No. 3 and released on his own recognizance.

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.