All charges held for trial for teen accused of Souderton e-bike robbery

A Hatfield Township man heads to county arraignment following a waiver of his preliminary hearing this week on charges related to his alleged role in an electric bicycle robbery and assault at Souderton Community Park in September.

Souderton Police said Derek Oloya, 18, of the 2700 block of Woodview Drive, and Joseph Eugene Mercado, of the 100 block of East Lippincott Street, Philadelphia, conspired to take a black Ouxi V8 electric bicycle valued at more than $1,000 from another teen around 8 p.m. Sept. 22, 2025, at the park on Wile Avenue in the borough.

Investigators said the pair approached the victim while he was riding the e-bike, knocked him off, and struck him three times during a brief struggle before fleeing toward a nearby store with the bicycle. 

Video evidence captured by a bystander and park security cameras reportedly showed the assault and theft, police wrote in the criminal complaints.

Police later identified Oloya as one of the suspects, using help from Souderton Area School District Police, and he turned himself in Sept. 29 accompanied by family members, according to the complaint. During interviews, police said Oloya admitted involvement and identified Mercado as the second suspect.

Oloya is charged with felony counts of robbery, theft by unlawful taking and related conspiracy offenses, as well as misdemeanor counts of simple assault and harassment, according to court documents. He is free on 10% of $2,500 cash bail. 

Mercado faces one misdemeanor theft charge, per court records. 

Souderton Area School District officials confirmed that Oloya is not a student of the district. 

Oloya is represented by Plymouth Meeting attorney Justin Highlands, according to court records. He will be arraigned Dec. 17.

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