Criminal Justice

Students shared a text from the Villanova alert system that told them to lock and barricade doors and move to secure locations. A second alert from Villanova officials warned people to stay away from the law school.

Isiah Yeager, 25, is due to stand trial Oct. 20 — 28 months after he was charged with homicide in connection with a fatal stabbing at Synergy Hookah Lounge.

Ashton Jordan Thomas, 18, of Stewartsville, New Jersey, turned himself in to the Bethlehem Police Department this week, authorities said.

Allowing some residents to stay at the encampment for an extra month is “the safest and most humane course of action,” Mayor Matt Tuerk said. But no one else will be allowed to set up camp there before its closure.

ICE agents have agreed not to wear masks and to present ID and warrants when operating inside the Lehigh County Courthouse. But county officials declined to spell out specific procedures for ICE inside the courthouses.

The drowning death of a Hanover Township, Northampton County, child in July has been ruled accidental, the district attorney said.

On a narrow residential street, Etienne Theagene was driving 40.7 mph when he struck and killed Edward Tomcics, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.

Edward Tomcics was fatally struck on the night of Dec. 25 outside his home on Water Street. More than seven months later, authorities charged the man who hit him.

Officials on Thursday said Allentown YMCA will open its shelter at least six weeks early this year to serve some residents of a homeless encampment who are being evicted.

Authorities in Allentown arrested a pair of brothers on drug charges Thursday morning, and seized nearly half a million dollars worth of cocaine at one of their homes.

Officials from the Transportation Security Administration visited Lehigh Valley International Airport Tuesday with a collection of simulated bombs in tow.

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.