Erik Dixon (Booking photo courtesy Montgomery County District Attorney)
Defense claims Upper Merion man remained seated on motorcycle and did not participate in violent confrontation
One of nine alleged members of the Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club charged in connection with an October 2025 shooting outside a Wawa in West Norriton is asking a judge to grant him a separate trial, arguing his alleged role in the confrontation was minimal compared to the other defendants.
Erik Dixon, 33, of Upper Merion, filed a motion in Montgomery County Court seeking to sever his case from the other eight defendants ahead of a joint trial scheduled for May 18, according to The Mercury.
Defense attorney Abraham A. Hobson III argued in court filings that Dixon remained seated on his motorcycle during the incident and did not engage in the fight, display a weapon or commit any overt act, per the report.
According to the defense, Dixon was present at the scene for just 23 seconds before fleeing when gunfire erupted.
Dixon is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, conspiracy, riot and recklessly endangering another person stemming from the Oct. 17, 2025 confrontation between members of the Pagans and the rival Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club in the parking lot of the Wawa at 2544 W. Main St.
The violent altercation left six people wounded, including two bystanders who were struck by gunfire during the melee.
Defense attorneys argue that evidence presented at a joint trial — including allegations of weapons, gunfire and violent conduct by other defendants — could unfairly prejudice a jury against Dixon. Prosecutors Bradley Walter Deckel and Libby Ann Hemler are expected to respond to the request during upcoming pretrial hearings before Judge Risa Vetri Ferman.
The case has drawn significant attention in Montgomery County courts. All nine defendants face identical charges connected to the incident, and eight remain jailed on $500,000 cash bail. The joint trial is currently expected to last about four weeks.
Arrested were Dixon, George Cwienk III, 51; Joel Hernandez-Martinez, 36; George Hripto Jr., 50; Jason Lawless, 45, all of Bridgeport; Manuel Baez-Santos, 34, of Norristown; Luke Higgins, 29, of Dauberville; Justin Noll, 34, of Reading; and Erik Rosenberger, 46, of East Greenville.
On Friday, October 17, 2025, at 9:12 p.m., West Norriton Township Police were dispatched to the Wawa, 2544 W. Main St., for a reported shooting. The 911 caller said the store manager had locked down the building and had customers hiding in the back area.
A joint investigation by West Norriton Township Police and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau determined the shooting was gang-related and resulted in six people being shot, including two innocent bystanders.
According to the investigation, an adult male was shot in the face while putting air in his vehicle’s tire, and an adult female was shot in the right side of her torso as she stood near the store’s entrance.
One member of the Unknown Bikers Outlaw Motorcycle Club was shot in the left forearm and thigh, authorities said.
Detectives used surveillance video, eyewitness accounts, and other evidence to piece together the events. Video showed two Unknown Bikers members arriving at 9:08 p.m. to refuel when nine Pagans arrived together at 9:10 p.m.
“Some of the Pagans surrounded the opposing gang members, while other Pagans positioned themselves to block any escape,” a release from the District Attorney stated. “Almost immediately, a physical altercation ensued … Video shows Pagan gang members tactically moving through the area and taking a shooting platform stance.”
One minute later, gunfire erupted, and the Pagans fled the scene toward Norristown. Detectives recovered 14 fired cartridge casings at the scene.
Norristown Police later located four motorcycles and five Pagan gang members traveling eastbound on Main Street. Officers found that Rosenberger, Higgins, Cwienk, Hernandez-Martinez, and Noll had all been shot and were transported to area hospitals.
The investigation involved the Montgomery County Detective Bureau’s Violent Crime Unit, the District Attorney’s Gun Violence Reduction Task Force, and police from West Norriton, Upper Merion, Norristown, Bridgeport, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force.
For more details on the case and prior developments, read more here.
