Criminal Justice

After his ousting in August 2023, Nadeem Shahzad pledged to sue the city for terminating him without cause.

Alfeni Romero-Taveras, 22, of Allentown, was charged Friday in the June 1, 2024, death of Angel Martinez-Velez on a basketball court at Fountain Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Two men face felony charges for stealing nearly $100,000 from Lowe's stores across the state. Investigators say the men used self-checkout kiosks to make purchases with their cell phones using information stolen from Lowe's customer accounts.

Police responded to a report of an armed person at Innovative Arts Academy in Catasauqua on Tuesday afternoon. An investigation is ongoing.

Pennsylvania State Police said the incident began when they tried to serve an arrest warrant on a 62-year-old man in the parking lot of the Super 8 at 1033 Airport Road on Sunday morning.

Jeani Garcia, who took the helm at Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley this year, was recently named to serve on the executive committee for the state’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

Former Allentown police officer Jason Krasley was charged with stealing more than $5,000 in May 2019 as he and other Vice and Intelligence Unit officers searched a barbershop. Separately, Krasley still faces several other charges, including rape, sexual assault and prostitution.

Authorities allege Adam Makowka, 28, of South Whitehall Township, fatally shot Jereka Battle in her Allentown apartment in July.

"Behind Closed Doors: Opening Conversations That Matter" brought panelists to the Northampton County Courthouse to discuss domestic violence and the role the law plays.

A Lehigh County detective Monday explained his process for obtaining a cell phone from Francis Anonia, Parkland School District's former performing arts administrator charged with secretly recording a student changing clothes. Anonia's lawyer asked a judge to throw out key evidence in the case.

A Black employee reported finding a noose at her desk in City Hall on Jan. 10. Two months later, a city spokesperson confirmed the incident is still under investigation by police.

A police officer discharged his firearm in an armed confrontation with the victim, who shot himself during the encounter Saturday night in Wind Gap, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Forest Touchberry, 31, was pronounced dead Thursday at 3:29 p.m. in the emergency department of St. Luke’s Hospital, Sacred Heart Campus, according to Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio.

A proposed ordinance to essentially decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in Easton failed to pass at Wednesday's meeting, with the discussion prompting impassioned debates on the topic.

John Gehrmann, 44, was charged with three third-degree misdemeanor counts of harassment, with a criminal complaint stating he was involved in the continued harassment of person he suspected of playing a part in his stepdaughter’s disappearance.

Enci “Aubrey” Wu was last seen on Jan. 11 in the vicinity of MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, where she was seeking transportation and/or funds from strangers in order to leave Lehigh County, according to the release.

Collectively, the shipments destined for Allentown and Whitehall were valued at $28,550 had the cosmetics been genuine, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said.

Alberto Jose Rios-Santiago, 26, of Deltona, Florida, was denied bail Friday by a Lehigh County judge.

The man suffered multiple traumatic injuries after he was hit by a car Friday morning, but he is expected to survive, police said.

Evan Weaver and Jason Krasley were released in January after posting 10% of their $900,000 and $750,000 bail amounts.

Former Hellertown police chief Robert Shupp pleaded guilty to charges of theft and forgery for stealing tens of thousands of dollars from borough coffers.

New South Whitehall Township Chief of Police Frank J.C. Lombardo, a former captain with the South Brunswick, New Jersey, Township Police Department, possesses decades of experience in law enforcement.