Crime & Safety
Plymouth Officials Commended Detective Joe LaPenta, III, For Solving Wawa Shooting
Plymouth Township Police Detective Joseph LaPenta, III, has been with the department since the late 1990s.
PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, PA — A police detective who worked tirelessly on an active shooting that took place at a local Wawa back in the fall of 2021 was recently honored by elected officials for his work in helping to solve the case.
Joseph LaPenta, III, a detective with the Plymouth Township Police Department, was commended by the Plymouth Township Council during their recent meeting for his diligent work on a Sept. 26, 2021, shooting at the Wawa at 1300 East Ridge Pike, according to the police department.
Police had been called to the scene at around 3:30 in the morning for a report of an active shooting involving two offenders and two innocent bystanders.
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The victims were both shot, and investigators determined that a total of 18 rounds had been fired during the incident.
LaPenta, who is currently assigned as the department's lead detective, took command of the investigation, tirelessly pursing various leads in the case, the department stated in a social media post.
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He reviewed cellphone data, listened to the suspects' prison phone call recordings, reviewed surveillance video footage, and interviewed countless witnesses, according to the department.
LaPenta's efforts paid off, and two suspects were eventually taken into custody and charged in connection with the shooting, the department stated.
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The township council members honored LaPenta for his "intelligent and valuable police service," as well as his "faithfulness and perseverance," stating that his "determined actions removed two violent and armed individuals from the community and brought justice for the victims," the police department said in its Facebook post.
LaPenta, who is being recognized at the start of National Police Week, began his career with the Plymouth Township Police Department back in the fall of 1998.
He came to the department after working as a deputy with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.
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