Criminal Justice

Former Forks Township Police Chief Michael Friel announced his retirement in December. Township supervisors approved a separation agreement but refused to disclose it until a Right-to-Know request was filed.

Grelvis Estevez Cabrera, 29, received the mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder in the killing of 25-year-old Angel Martinez-Velez in June 2024 in Allentown.

Catasauqua Borough Police are leading the investigation, with assistance from the State Police Forensics Services Unit and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.

A Lehigh County judge has denied an appeal that sought to clear the way for Nexus 78, a 501,000-square-foot warehouse proposed for North Whitehall Township. The ruling is unlikely to be the last word in the fight over the warehouse's fate.

An investigation is underway into a non-fatal police shooting that occurred Sunday at the former Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.

The Bethlehem Police Department is giving kudos to one of its officers, who went beyond simply making a report when he responded to a call for a burglary.

The victim, 29-year-old Rigiberto Hernandez Arias of Allentown, died Nov. 21 after being run over near Emaus Avenue and South Fourth Street in Allentown. An Amazon delivery driver, 30-year-old Troy Johnson, is in Lehigh County Jail on $500,000 bail.

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.

Joseph Roy, the superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District, is being sued in federal court by Liberty High School Assistant Principal Antonio Traca. Roy says he has never struck a district employee. Read the complaint here.

Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck, running for a second term, has said his office reduced crime by 25% since he took office. State statistics tell a more complicated story.

The buyback, coordinated by District Attorney Terry Houck, trades $50-$200 grocery gift cards for unwanted weapons.

Pa. Governor Josh Shapiro wants to create a new bank account to fund the State Police without taking money away from road repairs.

Crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and fentanyl were confiscated. Cash and firearms were involved, as well.

As the Jewish people celebrate the start of Passover on Wednesday night, the observance is a reminder that the oppression of Jews and others continues today.

Republicans intend to portray Rep. Susan Wild as soft on crime after she voted not to block a Washington D.C. law that would have lessened sentences for people convicted of some crimes.

Hosheem Johnnyray Klotz, of Macungie, has been arrested and charged with the criminal homicide and aggravated assault of Mastapha Brown.

Authorities say several schools were targeted, including Allen High School in Allentown and Catasauqua High School. Police and parents rushed to the schools.

Lehigh Township police were called June 29 to a Lehigh Township home, where they found a 67-year-old man dead from multiple gunshot wounds, according to officials.

It was the second shooting incident investigated by Allentown police in just a few hours. Police ask witnesses or anyone with information to call 610-437-7721.

An Allentown resident confronted someone trying to enter parked vehicles — and both ended up dead after a gunfight, according to police. Police leaders addressed the issue of thefts from vehicles in a podcast just this week.