BRIDGEVILLE, DE - The Delaware State Police have located a man who they say confronted a Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) employee with a chainsaw last week before fleeing into Maryland, sparking a manhunt in Caroline County.
Police say they were called to Handy Road in Bridgeville on August 5 just after 9:30 a.m. on reports of an assault. There, troopers say they were told John Gleysteen, 30, of Bridgeville, collided with a DelDOT tractor that was mowing grass. Gleysteen then proceeded to argue with the DelDOT employee, according to police, before leaving the scene. Investigators say he then returned with a chainsaw, which he started and placed near the tire of the tractor.
Delaware State Police say Gleysteen then forced his way into the DelDOT tractor’s cab, assaulted the victim, damaged his belongings, and fled the scene. The DelDOT employee was luckily not injured, according to police.
An extensive search was then launched in Caroline County, MD, near Federalsburg on Tuesday afternoon. Police halted the search operation at about 3:30 p.m., according to the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office.
Gleysteen was described as a 30-year-old white male, about 5'10", 185lbs, and reportedly was last seen wearing light-colored khaki shorts and no shirt. DSP says he was last seen driving a silver Ford F-250 with Delaware vanity plate reading “SUPRTUF.”
The search for Gleysteen finally came to an end with his arrest on August 10. Delaware State Police say he was taken to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $67,300 cash bond and charged with the following:
-Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
-Aggravated Menacing (Felony)
-Harassment
-Offensive Touching
-Criminal Mischief under $1,000 Damage Property – 2 counts
