Police: Man torments girlfriend with bag of mice

A Delaware man was charged with harassment after he was accused of dumping a bag of live mice inside his girlfriend's home.

State troopers responded to a home in Newark to investigate a domestic incident involving the scurrying rodents on Saturday night.

A 33-year-old woman called police, alleging that her boyfriend intentionally released the critters inside her residence in the 600 block of West Chestnut Hill Road around 6:30 p.m.

Police said the woman asked her boyfriend, 26-year-old Derro D. Smith of New Castle County, to leave the home after she let him in to retrieve his belongings. Smith refused to leave and opened a bag containing numerous live mice, police said.

The victim told police that Smith was aware of her fear of mice and that he intentionally released them to harass her.

The victim - who was unsure how many were let loose - was able to push Smith out of the home before locking herself in a bedroom.

Troopers observed at least two mice running around the house, police said.

Smith was charged with harassment and criminal mischief. He was arraigned and released on $1,000 bond.