Teen Charged With SouthSide Robbery

In a daylight confrontation about a month ago, a Bethlehem teen now in custody approached a male he apparently knows, punched him twice in the face and stole his cell phone and black Nike duffel bag on a SouthSide street, according to court records.

The suspect, Roberto Serrano Jr., 18, of 537 E. Laurel St. made several statements during the alleged robbery about a family member who is a friend of the victim’s, the victim told police.

According to a criminal complaint filed by city police Officer Luke Trevezo, the victim contacted police on January 25 and said he was a victim of a robbery that day about 11:30 a.m. He said a man approached him while he was walking on the 500 block of E. Fifth Street.

He said the man punched him twice in the face – causing swelling and redness -- took his red HTC cell phone out of his hand and his black Nike duffel bag containing clothes and two PS3 video games. The man fled on foot north on Webster Street, the victim said.

The complaint does not list the value of the cell phone, the duffel bag or the contents inside it.

The victim said he recognized the man as a family member of one of his (the victim’s) friends. He said the man made several statements about the family member.

The records do not say exactly when and how police took Serrano into custody, but he was arraigned at 3:45 a.m. Wednesday (Feb. 22) by on-duty District Judge Diane Marakovits of Northampton on charges of robbery and harassment. He was committed to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $30,000 bail.