A Schuylkill County man is facing a second set of robbery charges as police allege he held up a West Mahanoy Township gas station with an airsoft rifle two days before committing another armed robbery in Shenandoah.
Joshua Mercado, 20, of Shenandoah, was arraigned via video Thursday before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli on felony charges of robbery and burglary, alongside misdemeanor charges of theft by unlawful taking, recklessly endangering another person, and terroristic threats. Tarantelli denied bail.
State Police responded to the Speedway gas station at 520 S. Lehigh Ave. in West Mahanoy Township, just outside Frackville near the Interstate 81 interchange, at 8:08 a.m. on Aug. 21 following a reported armed robbery. Surveillance video showed a man wearing a gray zip-up sweatshirt with three white stripes, an open gray zippered sweatshirt, a black cap, a black face covering, black shoes, and a black backpack entering the business at 8:01 a.m..
Police allege the man placed his backpack on the counter, pulled out a black rifle-style gun, pointed it at the cashier, and demanded cash from the register. He collected $395 in cash and fled south toward Vo Tech Road at 8:03 a.m.. Investigators identified a white sedan with a black roof as the suspect vehicle in that incident.
On Aug. 23, State Police and local officers executed a felony traffic stop on Route 924 in East Union Township after matching the vehicle, a white 2015 Kia Optima EX with a black roof, to a separate armed robbery at the Friendly Food Mart in Shenandoah. Mercado was taken into custody as a passenger, and the driver, Leonardo Pagan-Ortiz, 26, of Shenandoah, was also arrested.
A search warrant executed on the vehicle on Aug. 26 yielded a black Pulse R76 airsoft gun, a gray zip-up sweatshirt with three white stripes, and a black full-face mask inside a backpack.
During an Aug. 31 interview at Schuylkill County Jail, Mercado allegedly confessed to State Police that he used a fake gun and the same vehicle to carry out both the Speedway robbery on Aug. 21 and the Shenandoah robbery on Aug. 23. In the Shenandoah case, police allege Mercado pushed a firearm into a clerk’s body to steal $390 and vape merchandise before Pagan-Ortiz drove him from the scene.
Mercado’s preliminary hearing for the Speedway robbery is set for Sept. 30 before Tarantelli. His preliminary hearing in the Shenandoah case before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker is scheduled for Oct. 1.
Subscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...