ALPHA (NJ)
WFMZ-TV, Ch. 69 [Allentown PA]
February 23, 2024
By Sara Madonna
A Warren County priest has been arrested after he allegedly stole from a Walmart and drove drunkenly to flee police.
According to Pohatcong Township Police, officers were dispatched to the Route 22 Walmart around 10:17 p.m. Monday for a shoplifting in progress.
After a store employee directed police to the thief’s vehicle, police attempted to stop the suspect — who was later identified as 39-year-old Dawid Weinerowski, of the 800 block of Fifth Avenue in Alpha Borough.
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church — where Weinerowski as a priest — is located at 830 Fifth Ave. in Alpha.
According to police, Weinerowski drove away when police attempted to conduct a traffic stop and erratically led officers on a chase through the Parkside section of Pohatcong Township.
Police said Weinerowski’s vehicle came to a stop in the front yard of a home on Liberty Boulevard, after which he was arrested and removed from the vehicle. Goods stolen from Walmart and open containers of alcohol were found in the vehicle, according to police.
Police said Weinerowski submitted to a breathalyzer test and was found to have a BAC of 0.21% — nearly three times the legal limit for driving in New Jersey.
For his alleged actions, Weinerowski is charged with shoplifting, eluding police, driving while intoxicated, open container and multiple traffic offenses.
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church has not commented publicly on Weinerowski’s arrest.