Friday, September 26th--Two Nabbed For Beach Thefts

OCEAN CITY - Two suspects wanted in connection with a rash of thefts on the beach this summer were arrested this week in Wilmington, Del. and await extradition to Worcester County to face several charges.

Back in July, Ocean City police began investigating two separate thefts that occurred on the beach. In both cases, the suspects stole backpacks containing the victims' personal items including credit and identification cards. After stealing the backpacks, the suspects took the victims' credit cards and used them to purchase thousands of dollars in merchandise including expensive video gaming systems and gift cards totaling almost $4,000.

Ocean City police detectives began focusing their investigation on two individuals, later identified as Michael Lee Sellers, 30, and Auburn Gerald Broadie, 30, both of Salisbury. Detectives were able to identify Sellers and Broadie by tracing the use of the victims' stolen credit cards to corresponding video surveillance of the suspects. OCPD detectives then obtained arrest warrants for both Sellers and Broadie.

OCPD detectives were unable to locate the two suspects for several weeks, however. During the investigation, the OCPD and Salisbury Police Department began to realize Broadie and Sellers had committed similar thefts in Wicomico County. Police began expanding the investigation and were eventually able to discover Broadie and Sellers were now living in Wilmington.

The Wilmington Police Department's Criminal Investigation Unit assisted the OCPD in finding an address where both suspects were living and the pair was eventually located and apprehended. Both Broadie and Sellers were being held earlier this week in a Delaware correctional facility awaiting extradition to Worcester County.