ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A Philadelphia man showed up at his girlfriend’s home in Allentown with a loaded gun on Wednesday, but ran from police who were waiting for him, authorities allege.
Thomas Kravitz, 54, faces firearms charges, along with felony charges of fleeing a police officer and causing an accident involving an injury while not licensed, Lehigh County court records show.
He also was charged with making terroristic threats, tampering with evidence, resisting arrest and criminal mischief — all misdemeanors — as well as DUI and summary offenses.
Officers about 8 p.m. Wednesday responded to the 700 block of North 11th Street, where a woman reported receiving a threatening phone call and messages from Kravitz, her boyfriend, Allentown police said in a news release.
He was arrested in Whitehall Township after crashing into several cars; officers found a loaded gun during the arrest.Allentown police news release
Those messages included photos of a gun, and Kravitz threatened to harm the woman at her home, authorities allege.
Police tried to stop Kravitz’s vehicle as it arrived at the woman’s home, but Kravitz drove away, hitting an Allentown police car, the release states.
He was arrested in Whitehall Township after crashing into several cars; officers found a loaded gun during the arrest, according to police.
Kravitz was in Lehigh County Jail on Thursday afternoon, unable to post his $75,000 bail.
He is prohibited from carrying a gun because of convictions for aggravated assault in 1988 and 1992.
Kravitz also was convicted on drug charges in 2013 in Philadelphia and two years later in Lehigh County, court records show.
Murder suspect expedited
Kravtiz’s arrest for allegedly threatening his girlfriend with a gun came a day after a 22-year-old Allentown woman was reportedly shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend.
Jerkera Battle, 22, died early Tuesday morning in her apartment in the 700 block of West Turner Street.
Authorities allege Battle’s ex-boyfriend — Adam Makowka, 27, of South Whitehall Township — broke into her apartment via a fire escape and killed her before trying to shoot her infant son and a man in another room.
Makowka was arrested around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday in Delaware County. He was in Lehigh County Jail on Thursday afternoon without the option of bail, court records show.
