Criminal Justice

Daniel Leibensperger, 34, of Emmaus, was charged Dec. 19, the day after after his girlfriend was stabbed, authorities said Tuesday in a news release. Leibensperger's body was found Dec. 26 in Allentown's Jordan Creek.

The body of an unidentified man was discovered Monday in the water of an underground quarry, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said.

Donations for 30 residents displaced can be made online or via mail (checks payable to UWGLV, 1110 American Parkway NE, Suite F-120, Allentown 18109 — attention “Cedar Street Fire Fund”).

Flames trapped a woman in the basement of her home, according to charges filed against Santos Mota-Ramirez. Police say he set the fire after trying to fatally stab another woman. The blaze affected seven row homes Thursday night and displaced 30 people.

Neighbors and community leaders responded to a row home fire that spread to other homes on West Cedar Street in Allentown on Thursday night.

Fountain Hill police and the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office charged two men with breaking into the Fountain Hill Pharmacy and opening fire on police, which led to a standoff and lockdown on Christmas Eve.

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.

Easton City Councilwoman Taiba Sultana made her first appearance since her arrest for accusations of simple assault and harassment in a domestic violence case.

A Pennsylvania State Police trooper was justified when he shot at a 47-year-old Allentown man who allegedly drove at the trooper, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

Residents near the area had been asked to shelter in place.

Robert Bowen Jr. is being held at Northampton County Prison in lieu of $500,000 bail. Police said they found him in possession of explosives and a homemade gun after he said he intended to detonate a bomb at Musikfest.

Armed with a search warrant, Bethlehem police say they detained a man Friday who allegedly made statements of his intent to build and detonate an improvised explosive during Musikfest.

Bill Bachenberg is accused in a $10 million lawsuit of hiring a cybersecurity company to analyze voting machines in Fulton County for voting irregularities but than stiffing it when it found no evidence of voter fraud.

Jonathan A. Richards, 41, of Shillington, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.24% at the time of the crash — three times the legal limit, authorities said.

Political observers in the Lehigh Valley said the new criminal charges against former President Donald Trump won't be enough to shake up the 2024 presidential race. Despite two impeachments and multiple federal charges, the 45th president still dominates the Republican Party.

Thong Pham hit his head in September 2019 after he was punched at an Allentown bar, authorities said. He never regained consciousness and died in 2021.

The Allentown Police Department can now enter a formal contract to work with Pinebrook Family Answers' “community intervention specialists.”

The rehab program, if completed succesfully by the accused person, could result in their charges being reduced or dropped before they even make it to court.

Several top Allentown police officials have declined to answer whether they are following the department’s use-of-force policy.