Criminal Justice

An Easton woman has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty related to a shooting incident in Bethlehem, the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

The Northampton County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday announced the arrest of Matthew Torres in connection with a fatal crash on Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem.

The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said Richard A. Costello, 65, was found dead at 9:37 a.m. at his home on Friday, Aug. 2. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the stomach.

A Hellertown man was arrested Saturday after police say he stabbed his roommate multiple times. William Vera was charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault.

A stabbing was reported around 3:15 a.m. Saturday on East Thomas Avenue, according to Hellertown police.

Evander Thompson, 30, is accused of fatally shooting Orlando Ibanez the morning of Sept. 23 at an apartment in the 500 block of West Allen Street.

Upper Macungie Township Police Sgt. Dathan Schlegel gave out 2,106 traffic citations in 2023, according to the Lehigh Valley DUI Highway Safety Taskforce.

Various Berks and Lehigh County police departments will join together to conduct coordinated aggressive-driving enforcement activities along the Route 222 corridor, a release said.

According to court records, Kyle Anthony Kleintop, of Wind Gap, has been charged with theft by unlawful taking, criminal trespass and more.

HanoverView Animal Hospital has reported its two outdoor air conditioning units were dismantled and stolen early Monday morning. Workers are asking for the public's help with finding the thieves.

Prosecutors presented data pulled from the cell phones of former state champion Pen Argyl wrestler Michael Racciato and defendant Christopher Ferrante, who stands accused of providing the fentanyl that led to Racciato's death in a Lower Nazareth Township parking lot.

Michael "Mikey" Racciato's father recounted the events leading up to his son's death in December 2020, including multiple overdoses, visits to rehab facilities and eventually discovering his son dead from a fentanyl overdose.

Northampton County's district attorney's office is touting $168,000 in drug money that law enforcement has confiscated.

The trial of Christopher Ferrante, charged in connection with the overdose death of Michael Racciato, began Monday. The case attracted scrutiny during the race for Northampton County District Attorney earlier this year.

Lawyers for Christopher Ferrante, charged with drug delivery resulting in death, told the court Monday he conducted at least two undercover drug buys for Allentown police.

The Salisbury Township Police Department is using humor on Facebook to foster connections and bridge a gap to reach people of all ages across the township and beyond. But there's a purpose to their punchlines, and the attention they've garnered seems to be working.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said during the holiday that there were "consequences coming" to violators, but Allentown police say there was just a single citation related to fireworks during the holiday.

The White House announced today Lehigh County has been designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), and will receive federal support in response.

An altercation between groups of people at a Taco Bell and Autozone in Allentown led to gunfire and one death. One man has been deemed not criminally responsible, and another has been charged with attempted homicide.

Police say a gunman in a bulletproof vest has opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia, killing five people and wounding two boys before he surrendered to responding officers. The shootings took place over several city blocks, and dozens of spent shell casings were found.

The notice was offered to affected individuals about a cybersecurity attack by a ransomware gang known as BlackCat and associated with Russia. The incident occurred in January and was later found in February.

Officials and residents of several New Jersey shore towns say the state’s law decriminalizing marijuana use is having an unintended effect: emboldening large groups of teenagers to run amok on beaches and boardwalks, knowing there is little chance of them getting in trouble for it.