Crime & Safety

How Many People Were Arrested at Musikfest?

Musikfest arrests included one indecent assault, one armed robbery and one teen festival volunteer who allegedly tried to steal $510 in food and beverage tickets.

Arrests at Musikfest dropped for the second consecutive year, Bethlehem Police said Monday.

There were 34 total arrests at the festival, more than half of those coming during Musikfest's final weekend, the department said in its blog.

That is down from 43 arrests at Musikfest 2012, which was down from 85 during the 2011 festival, police said.

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Police released the following list of charges and categories filed as a result of Musikfest 2013:

  • Disorderly Conduct – 16
  • Public Drunkenness – 13
  • Underage Drinking – 7
  • Narcotics Violations – 3
  • Harassment – 3
  • One count each of: Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault, Robbery, Institutional Vandalism, Criminal Mischief, Theft, Receiving Stolen Property, Escape and Indecent Assault

Police attributed some of the drop in festival arrests the past two years to their social media efforts to educate the public on having a good time without getting arrested. Those efforts included a blog “How Not to Get Arrested at Musikfest.”

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Some of the more serious incidents reported in the Musikfest police report include:

  • A 17-year-old boy arrested for robbery and receiving stolen property for allegedly taking cigarettes and a lighter from another teenager at knifepoint on Main Street Saturday.
  • Feliz Ferrer, 21, of 423 Main St., Freemansburg, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested for possession with intent to deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after they were allegedly found Saturday on Sand Island with 17 bags of pot, packaging materials, a digital scale and a marijuana grinder.
  • A 16-year-old boy and Musikfest volunteer allegedly was caught trying to steal $510 in festival food and beverage tickets at Handwerkplatz on Sunday afternoon. He was charged with theft and receiving stolen property.
  • Michael Cerruti, 23, of 613 Maple St., was charged with indecent assault, harassment, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, escape and possession of drug paraphernalia after he allegedly inappropriately touched two women and kissed one of them near the Central Moravian Church on Sunday night.

The police Musikfest arrest report does not appear to reflect a case in which a 29-year-old New York man allegedly met a 16-year-old girl at the festival Thursday night, brought her back to his room at the Holiday Inn Express, and gave her shots of Bacardi rum.

They also do not appear to reflect an unsolved case in which a 15-year-old boy was shot in the face with a BB-gun in front of the Historic Hotel Bethlehem on the festival’s opening night, Aug. 2.


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