Teen Killed in Seaford; Two Men Charged With Murder

Sussex County, DE - A 17-year-old from Laurel is dead after being shot during what investigators say was a planned drug deal gone wrong in Seaford. Delaware State Police have identified the victim as Jacob Rinier Jr. and have arrested one suspect while a second remains on the run.

The shooting happened on the evening of May 21, 2026. Troopers responded around 8:45 p.m. to the 24000 block of German Road after receiving a report of a crash. When they arrived, they found Rinier behind the wheel with a gunshot wound.

Emergency lifesaving efforts began at the scene, but he was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died from his injuries.

A juvenile male who was a passenger in the vehicle was also taken to the hospital, evaluated, and released.

Detectives learned that Rinier had arranged to meet 19-year-old Darrin West and 19-year-old Omar Vidro-Pacheco at the Concord Pond boat ramp to conduct a drug transaction.

During the meeting, investigators say West pulled out a handgun and pointed it into Rinier's vehicle. West then shot Rinier as he tried to drive away. Rinier lost consciousness while traveling on German Road and crashed.

Troopers located a Hyundai Sonata registered to Vidro-Pacheco in the parking lot of the Concord Pond boat ramp, where the shooting took place. A short distance away, they spotted a male standing across the street and identified him as Vidro-Pacheco. He was taken into custody without incident.

Vidro-Pacheco was transported to Troop 5, charged, and arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11. He is currently held at the Delaware Department of Correction on a $1,126,000 cash bond. He faces charges of Murder First Degree, Attempted Robbery First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Conspiracy First Degree, all felonies.

An arrest warrant was obtained for West on the same charges. He has not been located and is considered wanted at this time.

The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit is continuing to investigate. Anyone with information about this case or the whereabouts of Darrin West is asked to contact Detective B. McDerby at (302) 741-2821. Tips can also be submitted through a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at (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.