ALLENTOWN, PA – A 27-year-old Pocono Lake man wanted on a Monroe County retail theft warrant was arrested in Allentown Monday evening after an encounter with police that resulted in new charges for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness.

Demetrice Juwa Peterson was taken into custody by Allentown Police on December 1, 2025, at approximately 5:30 p.m. and transported to Lehigh County Jail, where he remains unable to post $3,000 bail on the new charges.

The arrest clears an outstanding warrant issued September 29 by Magisterial District Judge Paul J. Gasper in connection with a May theft at the Weis Market in Stroud Township—but it also adds to a mounting list of pending cases that now spans two counties and includes multiple felony charges.

Upcoming Court Dates:

• December 3, 2025, 10:15 a.m. – Summary Trial, Harassment (Monroe County)
• December 3, 2025 – Preliminary Hearing, Retail Theft F3 (Monroe County)
• December 8, 2025, 10:45 a.m. – Preliminary Hearing (Lehigh County)
• December 16, 2025, 9:00 a.m. – Preliminary Hearing, Retail Theft F2 (Monroe County)

The Weis Market Incident

The warrant that led to Peterson’s arrest stems from a May 29, 2025 incident at the Weis Market on North 9th Street in Stroud Township.

According to Stroud Area Regional Police, officers responded to a report of a retail theft around 12:33 p.m. Store employees reported that a man later identified as Peterson had been observed removing a bottle of wine from the shelf, concealing it in his bag, and walking out without paying.

The total value of the stolen merchandise was $8.99.

Charges were filed and an arrest warrant was issued after Peterson failed to appear for court proceedings. That warrant remained active for more than two months before his arrest in Allentown.

New Charges in Lehigh County

Peterson’s Monday arrest didn’t go smoothly.

Allentown Police Officer Erick A. Reyes took Peterson into custody, but not before the situation escalated. Peterson now faces three additional charges stemming from the arrest itself:

• Resisting arrest (second-degree misdemeanor)
• Disorderly conduct – engaging in fighting (third-degree misdemeanor)
• Public drunkenness and similar misconduct (summary offense)

Peterson was arraigned Monday night before Magisterial District Judge Tom Clair Creighton. Bail was set at $3,000 monetary. He was unable to post and was committed to Lehigh County Jail.

A preliminary hearing on the Lehigh County charges is scheduled for December 8 at 10:45 a.m.

Court records indicate Peterson did not request a public defender at his arraignment in Lehigh County.

A Crowded Court Calendar

The Allentown arrest lands Peterson in custody at a particularly inconvenient time—he has hearings scheduled in Monroe County this week.

On December 3, Peterson is due before Judge Gasper for a summary trial on a harassment charge filed in April. That same day, he faces a preliminary hearing on a separate third-degree felony retail theft charge.

Two weeks later, on December 16, Peterson has another preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Michael A. Wolbert on a second-degree felony retail theft charge—the most serious of his pending cases.

The second-degree felony charge, filed in June, stems from a May 14, 2025 incident in East Stroudsburg Borough. Court records show Peterson was initially held at Monroe County Prison after his arraignment when he was unable to post $5,000 bail. He was released July 8 after the court modified his bail to unsecured, with conditions requiring him to seek treatment at Pyramid Healthcare.

Peterson is being represented by Monroe County Public Defender Martin Emilio Souto-Diaz on that case.

Extensive History in Monroe County Courts

Court records reveal Peterson is no stranger to the Monroe County criminal justice system.

His history with local courts dates back to at least 2019 and includes multiple guilty pleas to retail theft, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, defiant trespass, and criminal mischief charges. He has served short jail sentences on several occasions, including a six-day stint in February 2025 after pleading guilty to a summary retail theft charge.

In 2024, Peterson faced more serious allegations. A case filed before Judge Anzini in May 2024 included charges of stalking, witness intimidation, harassment, defiant trespass, and evading arrest on foot. Those charges were waived for court and transferred to the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas.

A separate October 2024 case charged Peterson with resisting arrest, flight to avoid apprehension, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness. Those charges were also held for the Court of Common Pleas.

In addition to the active cases, court records show at least two inactive matters pending against Peterson in Monroe County—one for defiant criminal trespass and another for felony retail theft.

What Happens Next

Peterson faces a complicated few weeks as his cases wind through two county court systems simultaneously.

His most immediate concern is the December 3 hearings in Monroe County. Whether he will be transported from Lehigh County Jail to appear remains to be determined.

If convicted on the second-degree felony retail theft charge—his most serious pending matter—Peterson could face up to ten years in state prison under Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines. The third-degree felony charges each carry a maximum of seven years. The resisting arrest charge in Lehigh County is punishable by up to two years.

Peterson remains in custody at Lehigh County Jail. His next scheduled court appearance is the December 3 summary trial before Judge Gasper in Monroe County.

Monroe County Cases:

• MJ-43302-CR-0000472-2025 (Retail Theft F3 – Weis Market)
• MJ-43302-CR-0000225-2025 (Retail Theft F3)
• MJ-43202-CR-0000180-2025 (Retail Theft F2)
• MJ-43302-NT-0000193-2025 (Harassment)
• MJ-43201-NT-0000360-2024 (Disorderly Conduct)

Lehigh County Case: MJ-31102-CR-0000435-2025

Incident Numbers: 2025-011611 (Weis Market), 2025-012937 (Trespass)

OTNs: K 1014815-4, K 1016001-0, D 1012320-1, W 1012049-3

Arresting Officers: Officer Erick A. Reyes (Allentown PD), Officer Michael J. Yosh (SARPD)

Investigating Agency: Stroud Area Regional Police Department

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.