A Dover man, Isiah Worthy, 28, has been charged in connection with multiple acts of graffiti vandalism, including the defacement of Holy Trinity Church, a predominantly Black congregation in Dover, Delaware. On April 13, 2025, police arrested Worthy after a witness reported seeing him writing on city-owned poles and signs using a black permanent marker. Officers later linked him to six separate incidents of graffiti, some of which included references to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The most serious of these involved the vandalism of the church’s front marquee sign.
Worthy now faces six counts each of graffiti and possession of graffiti implements. Following his arrest, he was released on his own recognizance and is currently awaiting a court date. The graffiti incidents have sparked concern in the community, especially given their racial implications and the specific targeting of a Black house of worship.
The Dover Police Department has partnered with the Delaware Department of Justice’s Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust to assess whether these acts meet the threshold for hate crime charges. While no hate crime charges have been filed at this time, the investigation remains ongoing as authorities determine the legal classification of Worthy’s actions.
