A license plate reading camera at Temple University led to the arrest of a man wanted in three states, WHYY reported in May 2025. In December, the system alerted authorities that a stolen vehicle was on campus; New Castle County, Delaware, police contacted Temple police, who arrested the 20-year-old. He was wanted for a series of burglaries in the Greenville section of Wilmington, and police said property in the vehicle linked him to the crimes, including latent fingerprints and DNA.
At a glance
- Agencies
- Temple University Police; New Castle County (Delaware) Police
- Alert
- December: a stolen vehicle on the Temple campus
- Arrested
- A 20-year-old man
- Wanted
- In Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware
- Evidence in car
- Property linking him to crimes, including fingerprints and DNA
- Outcome
- Pleaded guilty to the New Castle County burglaries in April and was sentenced to one year
How the plate reader helped
This is what the report says about the technology’s role.
- A campus plate reading camera alerted authorities to a stolen vehicle.
- New Castle County police contacted Temple police, who made the arrest.
The outcome
- The man was arrested, and WHYY reported he later pleaded guilty to the Delaware burglaries and received a one-year sentence.
In the news
“A license plate reading camera in use by Temple University recently led to the arrest of a man wanted in three states.”
The excerpt is quoted word for word. The rest of this page paraphrases the same report, so names, dates and figures are the reporter’s or the agency’s, not ours. Where a report does not say something, we do not guess.
Context and caveats
- Temple said it was the first university police department in Pennsylvania to use the system, funded by a federal grant secured through a congressman.
- Details come from WHYY’s report; verify any current status with the agencies.
License plate readers are one investigative tool among several. They flag vehicles and give investigators leads; officers, detectives and the public do the rest, and every lead still has to be verified. For how agencies govern the technology, see our policy and data-retention guide and the accuracy guide.
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Frequently asked questions
Did the case end in a conviction?
WHYY reported the man pleaded guilty to the New Castle County burglaries in April and was sentenced to one year.
What evidence was in the car?
Property that linked him to the crimes, including latent fingerprints and DNA, per a New Castle County police officer.