A 41-year-old Wilmington man received a 15-year prison sentence for shooting the manager of a Newark restaurant.
In July 2017, Thomas Ellerbe and another man approached the manager of the Applebee’s restaurant on Elkton Road in Newark as the manager left for the evening.
When the manager refused to take the two men into the restaurant, Ellerbe shot the victim and stole a power tool the victim had in his possession.
In November 2018, Ellerbe pleaded guilty to Assault Second Degree, Conspiracy Second Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited.
A Superior Court judge sentenced Ellerbe, barred from having a firearm because of previous felony convictions on Robbery and Burglary charges, to 15 years in prison followed by 18 months of probation.
Ellerbe’s co-defendant, James Brooks, was previously sentenced to 7 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 1 year of probation.
Deputy Attorney General William Leonard prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal Donna Lee and social worker Kristen Fluharty-Emory. Detective Daniel Bystricky of the Newark Police Department was the chief investigating officer.
