STROUDSBURG, PA – A 33-year-old Stroudsburg man accused of firing a gun into an occupied downtown business is scheduled to appear in court next week, one month after the early morning incident that sent shockwaves through the Main Street corridor.

Joseph Daniel Castro is set for a preliminary hearing Wednesday, December 4, at 10:00 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Kristina Anzini at Courtroom MDJ-43-2-01. The hearing was continued from its original November 13 date.

Upcoming Court Date:

• December 4, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – Preliminary Hearing (Monroe County)

Castro has been free on $25,000 bail since October 29, one day after his arraignment. He is represented by Stroudsburg attorney William Austin Watkins.

The Charges

Castro faces four criminal charges from the October 25 incident:

• Discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure (third-degree felony)
• Firearms not to be carried without a license (third-degree felony)
• Disorderly conduct (third-degree misdemeanor)
• Criminal mischief – damage property (third-degree misdemeanor)

What Happened That Night

The incident unfolded around 2:30 a.m. on October 25 as Stroud Area Regional Police officers conducted routine patrols along Main Street during bar closing hours.

Officers heard what sounded like a single gunshot and immediately began checking the area. Moments later, a glass break sensor alarm activated at Stonehaus Meadery, located at 762 Main Street in Stroudsburg Borough.

Responding officers discovered a hole in the business’s front display glass and recovered a projectile at the scene.

What made the incident particularly serious, police say, is that two people were asleep in an apartment directly above the closed business at the time of the shooting. No injuries were reported.

The Investigation

Detectives with the Stroud Area Regional Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division were called to the scene and obtained surveillance video from the area.

The footage allegedly showed a white male firing a single gunshot at the business before entering a nearby apartment, according to police reports.

Through their investigation, detectives identified Castro as the suspected shooter.

Arrest and Bail

An arrest warrant was obtained on October 28. Castro voluntarily turned himself in at Stroud Area Regional Police headquarters that same day and was transported to Monroe County Correctional Facility.

He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Richard P. White, who set bail at $25,000 with Nebbia status. Professional bondsman Kevin Walsh posted the bail on October 29, securing Castro’s release.

What’s Next

Next week’s preliminary hearing will determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to advance the case to Monroe County Court of Common Pleas. If bound over, Castro would face formal arraignment and potentially a jury trial on the felony counts.

Growing Safety Concerns

This incident marks the second shooting on Main Street in recent weeks. On November 15, a 21-year-old man was shot in the abdomen around 1:50 a.m. in the 600 block—just two blocks from the Stonehaus Meadery incident. That shooting remains under investigation with two suspects still at large.

Stroudsburg’s violent crime rate of 2.7 per 1,000 residents is slightly above the national average, with the eastern part of the borough seeing approximately 20 violent crimes annually. The borough’s entertainment district, which operates until 2 a.m. on weekends, has become a focal point for late-night incidents.

Monroe County Case: MJ-43201-CR-0000301-2025
Incident Number: 2025-025929
OTN: U 1015649-5

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