Glen Mills escapee busted in twin Wawa heists
CHESTER HEIGHTS » A 17-year-old Texas youth who was adjudicated delinquent and placed at the Glen Mills School is in trouble again, this time charged as an adult after confessing to his role in a pair of robberies at the Wawa on Baltimore Pike over the weekend, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Pennsylvania State Police.
Arrested Monday, Dimareja Edelen was charged with robbery, possessing an instrument of crime, persons not to possess a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license – offenses approved by Delaware County Deputy District Attorney Dominick Spigarelli.
Edelen was remanded to the county prison in lieu of bail, which was set at $250,000 cash, according to online court records.
It was shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday that an attempted robbery at the store, located at 36 Baltimore Pike and known as the Stoneybank Wawa, was reported. A male entered the store, purchased a bag of Cheez-It crackers, displayed a silver handgun and demanded money from the register, according to the probable cause affidavit written by Trooper Brian Maturo of the PSP Media Station criminal investigation section. The male fled the store without any money, headed toward Dougherty Boulevard.
Some 18 hours later, about 4:20 p.m. on Sunday, a male entered the same store, purchased a Tastykake chocolate chip cookie bar, displayed a silver handgun and demanded money. He fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.
In both instances, the male was described as black, thin, clean shaven and wearing all black clothing. On Saturday night, the suspect was wearing a black baseball cap; on Sunday afternoon, he was wearing a gray knit winter hat.
Trooper Michael Suter responded to the store following both calls. He processed the scenes and found latent prints, one of which was a match to Edelen, according to the affidavit.
Shortly after 11 a.m. on Monday, Trooper James Lark was on patrol in the area of Stoneybrook Road and Baltimore Pike when he saw a thin, black male wearing all black and a gray knit cap walking north on Baltimore Pike. Lark conducted a pedestrian stop. The male told Lark that he was catching a ride with a vehicle that was pulling into the parking lot of the Stoneybrook Wawa. But as Lark was calling the station to provide information regarding the pedestrian stop, the male dropped two bags and began running south off Baltimore Pike toward a wooded area, according to the affidavit.
A search commenced, utilizing numerous troopers, a PSP helicopter and a K-9. There were numerous reports of sightings of the suspect during the search, according to the affidavit. The suspect was eventually apprehended in proximity to an apartment in the 200 block of Baltimore Pike. Positively identified as Edelen, he was transported to the Media barracks.
According to the affidavit, Edelen admitted to escaping Friday morning from the Glen Mills School and fleeing to an apartment near the Wawa. Edelen, whose mother was on speakerphone from Texas during a police interview, reportedly slept in a construction vehicle overnight Friday and on Saturday, met up with an individual who provided him with a replica revolver.
Edelen additionally admitted that he went to the Wawa on Saturday and purchased a bag of Cheez-It crackers. He told investigators he paid for the snack and then announced the robbery to the female associate working the register, but he fled without any money. He said he headed back to an apartment on Baltimore Pike, the affidavit states.
According to the affidavit, Edelen said he returned to the Wawa store on Sunday “because he needed the money to get back to Texas.” This time, after purchasing a Taskykake chocolate chip cookie bar with a $2 bill, he announced a robbery and fled the store with the cash in a blue bag.
Edelen told investigators he concealed the firearm in the center pouch of his hooded sweatshirt.
A preliminary hearing is listed for June 27 in Lima District Court. Edelen requested a public defender, according to online court records, but it was unknown Wednesday if one had been assigned.
The circumstances which led to Edelen’s placement at the Glen Mills School were not immediately known.
According to the Glen Mills’ School 2017 winter newsletter published online, Edelen was named a “Student of the Quarter” for paint studies.
Trooper Hansely Thomas assisted in the Wawa robbery investigation.