An Erie Bureau of Police cruiser is shown at city hall in Erie on July 19, 2022.
GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS FI
USA TODAY Network, Reuters
An Erie man and a group of teenagers are facing felony robbery and other charges after police accused them of confronting and robbing three others in a pair of armed confrontations in the city earlier this month.
Dimarcos A. Colon, 20, Joaniel J. Ramos, 15, Jayden Y. Castro, 17, and Azriel Rojas, 16, are accused of taking part in armed robberies that were reported Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 in areas of Erie’s east side. Ramos, Castro and Rojas were charged in both cases under the Fisher Bill, a state law that permits juveniles accused of committing violent crime to be charged as adults.
Woodlawn Avenue confrontation
Erie police detectives accuse them in the Oct. 11 incident of approaching two victims, ages 16 and 17, at about 1 a.m. in the 1800 or 1900 block of Woodlawn Avenue. The victims told police a vehicle with multiple people wearing masks and carrying guns approached them, and some of the occupants got out and pointed the guns at them, according to information in the criminal complaint filed against Colon.
The victims said the suspects demanded money, but the victims had none. When the victims attempted to call 911, they were assaulted and had their cell phones taken, detectives wrote in the complaint’s affidavit of probable cause. The victims ran off and were chased, but were able to get away, according to information in the affidavit.
Colon was identified as one of the suspects. When police later interviewed him, he gave a statement “corroborating the involvement and chain of events,” detectives wrote in the affidavit.
Colon, Ramos, Castro and Rojas were each charged with two first, second and third-degree felony counts of robbery, along with misdemeanor counts of possession of a weapon, theft, receiving stolen property and simple assault. Colon was arraigned Oct. 21 and had bond set at $25,000. Ramos was arraigned Oct. 23 and had bond set at $50,000. Castro and Rojas were arraigned Oct. 21 and were placed in the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center with no bond set, according to information in their criminal docket sheets.
E-bike stolen
In the incident from Oct. 12, Erie police accuse Colon. Ramos, Castro and Rojas of being involved in the robbery of a person whose E-bike was stolen.
According to information in the complaint against Colon, the victim told police the victim was stopped at about 2:10 a.m. Oct. 12 on Camphausen Avenue near East 19th and East 20th streets by a vehicle occupied by multiple people. Two or three of the occupants got out, showed guns and took the victim’s E-bike, detectives wrote in the complaint’s affidavit.
One of the suspects then rode off on the bike as the others got back into the vehicle and followed the bike, according to the affidavit.
Investigators said Colon was identified through video and interviews. When police later interviewed him, he admitted to taking part with others, according to information in the affidavit.
The four were each charged with first, second and third-degree felony counts of robbery, third-degree felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property, and a misdemeanor count of possession of a weapon. Colon was arraigned Oct. 21 and had bond set at $25,000. Ramos was arraigned Oct. 22 and was placed in the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center with no bond set, and Castro and Rojas were arraigned Oct. 21 and placed in the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center with no bond, according to information in their criminal docket sheets.
Assault on pair
Colon, Castro and Rojas are additionally facing felony aggravated assault and other charges after police accused them of attacking two people at a city park on the late evening of Oct. 11.
According to information in the criminal complaint against Colon, the victims said they were among a group in a vehicle that picked up four males whose faces were covered with masks. The vehicle traveled to Victory Park, off Lincoln Avenue, where the victims said they were assaulted and struck in the head and face with a gun.
Detectives said they identified Colon as one of the suspects through video surveillance and interviews. When Colon was interviewed, he admitted to taking part in the assault, according to information in his criminal complaint.
Colon was arraigned on the charges Oct. 21 and jailed on $25,000 bond. Castro and Rojas, who were charged under the Fisher Bill, were arraigned Oct. 21 and were placed in the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center with no bond set, according to information in their docket sheets.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie man, three teens charged in pair of armed robberies in city
Reporting by Tim Hahn, Erie Times-News / Erie Times-News
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This story was originally published October 26, 2026 at 12:59 PM.