Suspect hides in stranger's attic after reportedly striking Del. trooper with stolen car

NEW CASTLE, Del. (FOX 29) - A woman got way more than she bargained for while visiting a friend in New Castle on Friday when she found herself face-to-face with a man wanted by police.

Police say the suspect was wanted for striking a state trooper with a stolen car.

Officials say 38-year-old Cam Herring jumped in the car, the keys to which were left in the ignition, at a Citgo gas station in Wilmington around 9:30 a.m.. He sped off, driving to a development in nearby New Castle.

When authorities located the suspect around noon on the 100 block of West Edinburgh Drive and approached the vehicle on foot, the suspect allegedly fled, striking a state trooper.

Police flooded the neighborhood in an attempt to find the suspect after he reportedly abandoned the stolen vehicle.

Officials say they subsequently received multiple 911 calls describing a man attempting to access different residences on Dunsinane Drive.

A woman flagged down troopers who were canvassing the area a short time later and reported that an unknown man had entered her home and was hiding in the attic.

FOX 29's JoAnn Pileggi spoke by phone to a woman who was inside when the suspect walked in the front door.

"All of a sudden, I look to my left and the door opened," she said. "He was standing there. I was like... 'Who are you?'"

The woman, who did not want to be identified, said the stranger asked for a cup of water.

"I said, 'What did you do?'" she explained. "And he told me he did something really bad... He told me he was scared. I didn't want him to know I was scared. I told him I do have anxiety."

The woman said she got him water and remained calm, suspecting things could get dicey.

"I said, 'Is that why the helicopters are flying up there, are they looking for you?' and he told me yes. He didn't lie, he said yes," she added.

The suspect then reportedly hid in the attic before being apprehended by authorities.

Herring was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer. He was committed to Howard T. Young Correctional Instituion in lieu of $73,000 secured bail.

The state trooper was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital.