2 Men Charged in Valleywide Burglary Spree

Two men have been charged with committing 11 burglaries in one month at stores across the Lehigh Valley, according to published reports.

Both Edward J. Medelo, 35, of Easton, and Derek Deutsch, 36, of Allentown, have been charged with 11 counts each of burglary, theft and receiving stolen property, 12 counts each of criminal conspiracy to commit burglary and criminal mischief and one count each of attempted burglary, according to court records.

They were caught by Pennsylvania State Police on June 11 as they were trying to break into the Binny Mart on Mauch Chunk Road in North Whitehall Township, according to The Express-Times.

The men would allegedly take a brick or a rock and smash a front window before taking cartons of cigarettes and lottery tickets, the newspaper reported. State police estimated that the men got away with $40,200 in merchandise and caused more than $5,000 in damage to the stores.

The newspaper said stores from the Slate Belt to Lower Macungie were targeted. Among those that were burglarized:

• Cigar and Cigarette Outlet, 4063B Nazareth Pike, Bethlehem Township.
• Smokin Zone Tobacco Store, 1091 Millcreek Road, Lower Macungie Township.
• Unicorn Mart, 2350 Linden Street, Bethlehem.
• Allentown Smoke Shop, 4787 Tilghman St., South Whitehall Township.

The newspaper also reported that an attempted burglary at The Friendly Express on William Penn Highway in Bethlehem Township failed.

The men were arraigned on the charges Tuesday before District Judge Michael J. Faulkner, Upper Macungie, and committed to Lehigh County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail.