Man wanted on multiple warrants arrested by Newtown Township Police

It isn’t advisable to cruise around town when you have multiple warrants out for your arrest. It is even less smart to do so on a suspended license. The Newtown Township Police would not suggest it, and one Philadelphia man found out first hand what happens if you do.

On Monday, Nov. 17, around 7:55 a.m., Newtown Police on patrol in the area of Media Line Road and Route 252 noticed a black Honda Fit with Pennsylvania license plates. After running its tags, police said that the owner was wanted on multiple active warrants out of both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As the vehicle passed police, they said they noticed the driver and described him as a black male wearing a black hoodie and red hat.

Police said they attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the area of South Media Line Road and Morton Street, but that the driver fled police at “a high rate of speed.” Though police activated emergency lights and sirens, the driver “disregarded my emergency signals,” said the officer, and continued to flee on South Media Line Road, toward Marple Newtown High School, an active school zone at the time.

The vehicle then stopped in the 200 block of South Media Line Road, exiting the vehicle and fleeing to the rear of a home. Police said they began pursuing the driver on foot, but lost sight of him in the adjoining neighborhood. Police said they then radioed for assistance, and other police found the man hiding in a resident’s garage in the vicinity. The original officer confirmed that the man was the same he’d seen driving the Fit previously. 

Police said that they identified the man as Juan Russell-Ponce, 34, of the 5900 block of Windsor Ave., Philadelphia, and that he had a suspended driver’s license. But the discovery did not end there.

Additionally, police discovered that Russell-Ponce had active warrants out of Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Upper Darby Police Department, a Delaware County bench warrant, and two warrants out of New Jersey State Police Troop C. Both Montgomery County and UDPD confirmed warrants for Russell-Ponce.

Russell-Ponce, police said, had been wanted in Upper Darby and Montgomery County since 2019. Outstanding warrants in New Jersey were issued Nov. 10, 2025.

Russell-Ponce faces a felony charge of criminal trespass by entering a structure, as well as a misdemeanor charge of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer. He also faces related summary offenses of improper passing and driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked.

Russell-Ponce is held on a $50,000 bail in the Delaware County jail, unable to post bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 22 at 8:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge David H. Lang.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.