Second of three men admits role in Towamencin Wawa sneaker robbery incident

A Norristown man pleaded guilty to lesser offenses in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday and avoided prosecution on more serious felony robbery charges for his role in a sneaker robbery and theft of a purse at Wawa in Towamencin last year.

Levi Josiah Carroll, 21, of the 200 block of New Street, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and conspiracy to commit theft and was sentenced to 18 months of probation, according to court documents.

Felony charges of robbery-inflicting immediate bodily injury and robbery-taking property by force, as well as associated conspiracy charges, were dismissed against Carroll by prosecutors.

A second man charged in the incident, Chase Peklak, 20, of the 500 block of Hoffman Road, Lower Salford, pleaded guilty in April to felony conspiracy to commit robbery and awaits sentencing in August, per court records, adding to his extensive criminal history.

A third man charged in the incident, Andrew Leighton Metzler, 21, of the 500 block of Lamplighter Road, Horsham, was charged in June by Towamencin Township detectives with felony counts of robbery by force and conspiracy to commit robbery by force, and misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property, according to court records. He has a pre-trial hearing set for Friday and remains in Montgomery County jail on bail.

On March 31, at 6:50 p.m., police responded to the 200 Forty Foot Road Wawa for a reported fight inside a blue Nissan Altima, with the caller reporting a man exited a white Chevrolet Malibu with front-end damage and entered the Nissan, per the complaint.

The victim told police they had arranged a meeting through Facebook Marketplace to sell a pair of $300 sneakers to Carroll at the Wawa, police said. Surveillance footage from Wawa shows a white Chevrolet Malibu entering the lot at 6:42 p.m., driven by Peklak, parking a couple stalls away from the Nissan, police said.

The victim told police that Peklak and Metzler had ski masks on, but he noticed a “309” tattoo on Peklak’s hand, police said.

At 6:43 p.m., police allege Carroll, who was not wearing a mask, exited the rear of the Malibu and entered the rear of the Nissan, leaving doors open on both cars.

The victim told police they recognized Carroll as a former North Penn High School football player and as the brother of one of their friends, per the complaint.

Carroll, police allege, asked for the victim’s Cash App account and asked to take the sneakers, then claimed he had issues with the app and said he would complete payment when he returned to the Malibu.

When the victim declined, Carroll allegedly got upset and reached over to grab the sneakers. The victim held tight onto the sneakers, and Carroll allegedly said, “Don’t try anything.” He grabbed the victim’s arm, police said, struggled with the shoes, and punched the victim in the face.

Carroll was unable to take the shoes, police said.

During the struggle, Metzler entered the back of the Nissan and forcefully took a second victim’s purse, police said. Metzler yelled, “Give me your f------ purse, b----,” and he grabbed it from the victim, police said.

Once Metzler entered the Malibu, Peklak backed out of the space, with Carroll still inside the Nissan, police said. Peklak drives 20 feet away, waits 10 seconds, then accelerates toward the front of the Altima, per the affidavit.

Carroll immediately exits the Nissan, runs toward the backseat and enters Peklak’s Malibu, police said. Meanwhile, the victim begins chasing the car, police said.

Peklak, authorities allege, exited the lot between Wawa and Chick-fil-A and turned southbound, as Metzler tosses the purse out the window onto the grass.

A short time later, Carroll realized he left his phone in the victim’s car and the Malibu turns back toward Forty Foot and Welsh roads, police said. At 6:47 p.m., the victim drives out of the lot onto Welsh Road. While at the red light, surveillance allegedly shows Carroll running across Welsh Road toward the victim’s car, grabbing onto it.

Police said the victim threw Carroll’s phone out the window in front of a home near Grist Mill Drive.

At 7:07 pm., Towamencin Police received a call from a resident on the 500 block of Bookbinder Way, reporting a man in a blue hoodie, later identified as Carroll, knocked on his door and asked if he had a son named “Jayce” and that he stole his phone, police said.

At 7:11 p.m., police found a white Malibu on Grist Mill Drive and stopped the car. Police asked Peklak what happened, and he allegedly said he did not know. He said they went to meet someone and “All this s--- happened,” police said. Peklak said there was a fight and he left, police said.

Police allegedly saw a tan BB gun in the backseat of the Malibu under a hoodie, and when Peklak was asked about it, he said, “That’s a BB gun. My fault.”

While speaking with Peklak, Carroll approached an officer, who was standing behind the Malibu, police said. Another officer arrived, and he spoke to Carroll, who told police he dropped his phone in a car and tracked it to the neighborhood, police said.

Police asked Carroll what happened, and he allegedly said he met with someone to buy a pair of sneakers and he believed the seller was intimidated by him. Carroll said he asked to see the shoes, but the seller was “weird.”

“Carroll then said he ‘snatched them away from him and we got into a scuffle,’” police wrote in the complaint.

Police said Carroll claimed to see the tan handgun in the victim’s pocket and he punched the victim and then ripped the gun away from him, dropping it. Carroll told police the BB gun in the backseat was not his, per the affidavit.

Caroll told police he did not call police because he punched the victim, and he got scared, per the complaint.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.