Criminal Justice

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.

Easton City Council opted to remove a Welcoming City ordinance from its Wednesday agenda, leading to a debate among council and the public as to the need for and intent of the legislation.

Yandiel Onil Gonzalez, 16, surrendered to authorities Wednesday and will be charged as an adult, police said in a news release. The shooting occurred July 12 on South Side.

A new problem-solving court is aimed at keeping military veterans charged with crimes out of jail by treating and addressing the underlying causes of criminality.

The Ohio State wrestler was hospitalized after being shot during a reported robbery attempt Friday in Columbus, Ohio. Sasso, a Nazareth Area High School alum, is a two-time PIAA state champion wrestler.

Multiple news outlets are reporting Sasso was shot Friday night near the Ohio State University campus. He's a three-time All-American wrestler and two-time PIAA state champion from Nazareth Area High School.

Three suspects from two cases have been charged with scamming older Pennsylvanians; one of the victims is from Lehigh County. The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office is offering tips on recognizing and fighting scams.

Roger Kornfeind will serve up to 10 years in state prison after defrauding 88 victims of more than $1.5 million over nearly four years.

Bethlehem City Council unanimously approved BPD to join other Lehigh County agencies to combat crime through the use of shared investigative data.

The 29 arrests Bethlehem Police made during Musikfest were a slight increase from last year's event, the department reported on Tuesday.

Robert Bowen, 53, of Bethlehem, has been charged with involvement in the detonation of at least four other explosive devices in the city. Federal and local agents searched his Wyandotte Street home earlier this month. They say they found bomb-making materials, grenades, drugs and a homemade gun.

State law gives Northampton County Republicans a little over a week to find a candidate willing to take on Democrat Stephen Baratta in a high-profile race for district attorney.

On Sunday, the Allentown Police Department premiered a new color scheme for its vehicles, featuring a black-and-white aesthetic that leaders say is meant to convey recognition and authority.

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.