Criminal Justice

Kirk Chin Jr., 37, of Pottstown, Montgomery County, is charged with misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving.

The school district alerted the community about three hours after an incident involving pepper spray occurred in the upstairs cafeteria of Emmaus High School on Wednesday afternoon. Legislation that went into effect this month requires districts to alert parents, guardians and teachers of school weapon incidents.

An external audit of 114 cases handled by former U.S. Center for SafeSport investigator Jason Krasley — a former Allentown police officer — led to the watchdog agency's reopening of three of those cases.

Sarah A. Rice, 39, and Greg A. Johnson, 42, both of Bethlehem, died from wounds to the head, Coroner Daniel Buglio ruled after autopsies Monday.

Bethlehem police said the couple had three children. The man and the woman were both found suffering from gunshot wounds in the basement of a home in the 200 block of 10th Avenue.

Police were called Friday night to a residence in the 200 block of 10th Avenue in Bethlehem. There they found a 39-year-old woman dead and a 42-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.

A former tenant tied to a massive fire at their South Bethlehem apartment building will not face criminal charges, according to city police.

The 33-year-old was seen on surveillance footage throwing rocks at the building's doors, according to charging documents.

In 2025, LehighValleyNews.com readers gravitated toward stories that reflected mounting economic pressure, public safety concerns, environmental uncertainty and moments of sharp civic tension.

Pennsylvania’s distracted driving law will take full effect in 2026, marking one of the most consequential legal shifts for motorists in years and headlining a slate of new laws set to roll out across the Commonwealth.

Two people were wounded in the 300 block of Ridge Avenue. Allentown police were called there as they investigated a separate shooting blocks away in which a 1-year-old and his grandmother were shot to death in their home.

Liz Pacheco, 37, of Allentown, is charged with homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, aggravated assault-attempting to cause serious bodily injury and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault — all first-degree felonies.

Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta said he acted appropriately when he allowed Northampton County Republican Committee Chair Glenn Geissinger to file a private criminal complaint against four members of his party.

Rasheed Quayle Tisdale was arrested Tuesday by Easton police with the Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Fugitive Task Force and SWAT Team, Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta said in a release.

The Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office announced charges Tuesday against an Allentown man in a 2023 fatal crash that resulted in the deaths of two people.

Christian Martinez-Ramos, 35, was charged with homicide and aggravated assault-knowingly or recklessly extreme indifference, in the death of Hector Manuel Garcia Gomez, 46 of Palmerton, Carbon County.

Northampton County residents might find themselves receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a Sergeant from the Sheriff's Department. Police are advising this is a scam.

Patricia Fuentes Mulqueen, a longtime prosecutor, will run for Lehigh County judge, she announced Tuesday.

Officer Zane Struss, who was cleared of wrongdoing in a fatal shooting last February, drove through an intersection without his emergency lights or sirens on and hit another vehicle, according to a since-settled lawsuit.

The shooting occurred early Saturday night in a parking lot off the 1100 block of MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, near Jordan Parkway, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.

Easton City Councilwoman Taiba Sultana is suing PA Citizens PAC, alleging that racist campaign ads and imagery contributed to harassment and the loss of her campaign for the state House this year.

The first hearing related to council’s lawsuit against the mayor was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday.