Criminal Justice

Skill games — those machines that look like slot machines in convenience stores and taverns across Pennsylvania — are a potential public safety threat because they deal in cash in places that generally have little or no security procedures in place, according to the state district attorneys association.

Christian Joel Gonzalez Santiago, 29, last month pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree misdemeanor, in the July 31, 2022, crash on MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township.

Helen Teresa Knieriem and Roy T. Knieriem, both 76, were found in the home at 2359 Taylor Drive following a phone call to 911, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office.

Jose Hilario Abreu, 29, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in which the victim is less than 12 years old in the March 28 death of Elijah Abreu Borgen, Holihan said.

Social media platforms, a toll-free number and online tip form are all part of what police are calling “PSP Tips” – a means for the community to provide information that might help solve a case, including some that are decades old.

The Pardon Project is designed to help low-income residents convicted of nonviolent crimes who have pleaded guilty and completed their sentence at least five years ago to eventually have their record expunged.

Allen Jahmell Grimes, 18, of Bethlehem, is reportedly awaiting extradition at Rikers Island in New York City after being caught by U.S. Marshals over the weekend.

Financial assistance is on the way to help a Lehigh Valley nonprofit that assists women who have been sex trafficked. Bloom for Women can now make upgrades to the housing they offer and begin providing services to men and children with the money.

The shooting that killed 3-year-old Elijah Abreu Borgen in Allentown on Thursday remains under investigation, the Lehigh County coroner ruled Friday.

The Allentown Police Department is investigating the shooting death of a 3-year-old boy on the city’s East Side.

Kameron Barnes Nuble, 34, had enough evidence against him presented at a preliminary hearing Friday to support charges of homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide in the death of Legious Minder, 46, District Justice Robert Hawke ruled.

Francis 'Frank' Anonia, 43, was charged by Lehigh County detectives with multiple counts of invasion of privacy, criminal use of a communication facility and other offenses, according to court records.

Carly Grozier died as the result of injuries sustained in a gas explosion in off-campus housing at West Virginia University. "For us, this issue is much larger than Carly," her mother said.

A 56-year-old South Whitehall Township man was the victim of a shooting early Friday, according to authorities.

Gianni Santini, 17, is accused of killing 30-year-old Altaron A. Robinson after they allegedly arranged a drug deal near Governor Wolf Elementary School in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem police took a 17-year-old into custody late Friday in connection with the fatal shooting. A 30-year-old Allentown man was identified as the victim.

Bethlehem police are investigating a shooting that occurred in the 1900 block of Butztown Road on Thursday night. They've issued an arrest warrant for Gianni Santini, 17.

A Lehigh County judge sentenced Rami Abouloh to life in prison Thursday for fatally shooting his wife and wounding a man in a Whitehall Township park in 2023.

Rajgion Davis of Whitehall, was ordered by District Judge Jacob E. Hammond at a preliminary hearing Wednesday to face homicide and two counts each of attempted murder and aggravated assault, all first-degree felonies.

Allentown’s Cleveland School is set to be knocked down and fenced off after its new owner called it a “hot spot" and "magnet for crime." Community Action Lehigh Valley is planning to build a $20 million youth center but wants to secure the property until construction can start.

A joint enforcement detail over the weekend specifically targeted an unsanctioned car meet, a state police public information officer confirmed.

The Northampton County Department of Corrections hosted a bias training course for new hires taught by a Bethlehem-based organization that consults on diversity, equity and inclusion.