Four men have been charged in connection with two separate robberies at smoke shops in Northampton and Lehigh counties, authorities said Friday.
The co-defendants include 22-year-old Thiago Araujo-Guerrero; 23-year-old Frankell Isabel-Ramirez; 24-year-old Branny De La Cruz-Rodriguez; and 23-year-old Leonardo Henriquez-Diaz, all of Hazleton, Luzerne County.
A fifth suspect, not identified by authorities, remained on the lam.
The group is accused of robbing Cherryville Vape and Cigar Shop, 4209 Lehigh Drive in Lehigh Township, just after 1:15 a.m. Sept. 10, 2025. Two days later, the same five men are accused of robbing Smoke Mania, 2733 W. Emmaus Avenue in Allentown, just before 3:40 a.m.
Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta said that in the Lehigh Township robbery, Araujo-Guerrero, Isabel-Ramirez, De La Cruz-Rodriguez and Henrique-Diaz each is charged with two counts felony robbery, one count felony theft and one count felony receiving stolen property.
All four co-defendants were scheduled to be arraigned on the charges later Friday before District Judge Robert Hawke, who would set bail and schedule their preliminary hearings.
In Lehigh County, Araujo-Guerrero, Henriquez Diaz, Isabel-Ramirez and De La Cruz-Rodriguez each is charged with two counts felony robbery, one count felony theft and one count felony receiving stolen property, authorities said.
De La Cruz-Rodriguez and Isabel-Ramirez additionally are charged with one count felony conspiracy to commit robbery. Isabel-Ramirez also is facing a felony aggravated assault charge.
All four co-defendants currently were incarcerated at Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail following preliminary arraignments on Sept. 17, 2025, in the Allentown case.
Baratta announced the charges in the Lehigh Township case in a news conference Friday afternoon.
No attorney information was immediately listed in court records for De La Cruz-Rodriguez. The Lehigh County Public Defender’s Office, representing Araujo-Guerrero in the Allentown case, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Allentown-based attorney Sean Thomas Poll, representing Isabel-Ramirez, and Jim Thorpe, Carbon County-based attorney Matthew Joseph Mottola, representing Henriquez Diaz, also couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
The store clerk at Cherryville Vape and Cigar Shop reported to police being “menaced and threatened” by four masked gunmen, Baratta said.
A fifth man, later identified as Henriquez-Diaz, was not wearing a mask and scoped out the scene shortly before the four others entered the shop, the DA said.
The suspects allegedly destroyed the business’s phone, demanded the clerk’s cellphone and made off with $300 cash and merchandise totaling $2,000. Items stolen included mostly vape and THC products, Baratta said.
Investigators obtained video surveillance footage of the allegedly robbery and a blue Honda Civic suspected to be involved. Registration of the Honda was tied to the mother of Araujo-Guerrero, court records state.
Isabel-Ramirez, De La Cruz-Rodriguez and Araujo-Guerrero all brandished suspected firearms during the Lehigh Township robbery, the affidavit of probable cause states. This court record lays out evidence and witness testimony against defendants.
Two days later, Allentown officers responded to a similar armed robbery at Smoke Mania. That store clerk reported being robbed at gunpoint by four male suspects.
Video surveillance footage showed the same Honda suspected in the Lehigh Township incident, Baratta said.
There were no reported injuries in either incident.
Pennsylvania State Police shortly before 10 p.m. September 12, 2025, stopped the suspected Honda in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. Araujo-Guerrero, Isabel-Ramirez, De La Cruz-Rodriguez and Henriquez-Diaz were all in the car, authorities said.
Troopers obtained a search warrant and recovered BB guns consistent in appearance with the weapons used during the two robberies, Baratta said.
All four men were then arrested and charged in both cases.
The fifth suspect is described by authorities as wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with “UCONN” printed on the front, black sweatpants, black sneakers with white soles and wearing a full face clown mask with orange hair at the time of the Lehigh Township robbery.
In Northampton County, the next steps will be for all four co-defendants to appear for preliminary hearings. A judge will then determine if there’s sufficient evidence to send their cases toward trial at the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas.
In Lehigh County, Araujo-Guerrero’s case was forwarded to possible trial at the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. Both De La Cruz-Rodriguez and Isabel-Ramirez are scheduled for trial in March in Lehigh County Court.
Henriquez-Diaz is due back in court for a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Jan. 27. A judge will then determine if there’s sufficient evidence to send that case toward trial at the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas.
A fifth suspect remains at large in robberies that happened in both Lehigh Township, Northampton County and Allentown, Lehigh County in September 2025. Four other male co-defendants are in custody, authorities said.Courtesy photo