Criminal Justice

The Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office and ArtsQuest will work together to bring a DUI Awareness Campaign to this year’s Oktoberfest at SteelStacks.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk on Thursday pointed to a slew of positive statistics as he said “violent crime is down” and asked residents to acknowledge the “recency bias” caused a homicide the night before.

Jahlik R. Colon, of Temple, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. Wednesday in the emergency department at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, Coroner Dan Buglio said in a news release.

Liz Marie Pacheco, 38, of Allentown, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to third-degree murder for her part in the Dec. 7 shooting death of Hector Manuel Garcia Gomez, 46, of Palmerton, Carbon County.

As a new round of scams make way through Pennsylvanians via phone call and text message, officials are warning residents to be cautious and instead report potential scams to the appropriate agencies.

The shooting occurred about 1 a.m. Friday in the 400 block of Pierce Street. Police described it as "an isolated incident between known parties."

Jared Gerhard, 31, of Macungie, was sentenced Thursday in a hearing before Lehigh County Judge Anna-Kristie M. Marks to 9 to 23 months in Lehigh County Jail, county District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said.

Leroy Mendez, 37, was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI and accidents involving death or personal injury, all felonies, police said.

The shooting occurred in September 2024 near North Law and Liberty streets. Police said they arrested the 26-year-old suspect after spotting him Monday night walking with a woman in the 1300 block of West Walnut Street.

Brenda Rodriguez entered the plea before Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg. She is scheduled to be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 5 and could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

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 recent ruling from Pennsylvania's Supreme Court seemingly marks a major shift in how DUI cases can be prosecuted, with the court ruling that if a driver hasn’t been previously convicted, the state can’t punish them as if they were.

Residents who spoke to LehighValleyNews.com said they don’t know where they will go; the camp near Tilghman Street was an oasis for many who previously lived alone or in small groups.

Bethlehem police responded just after midnight, at 12:12 a.m., to reports of gunfire at Sizzling Bites, at 312 E. 3rd St.

LaTarsha Brown, an Allentown School Board member, was accepted Thursday into the Lehigh County’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program.

An Allentown Police officer has been charged with felony and misdemeanor counts of assault after allegedly striking a man with his service weapon.

City officials said the encampment is in active flood zone and must be shut down. The move goes against Mayor Matt Tuerk's directive to clean rather than clear camps.

State Police are investigating a hit-and-run that occurred on the ramp from Route 22 eastbound in Hanover Township. They discovered a man dead, but still are working to determine how he died.

Northampton County's district attorney will not press charges in a fatal single-vehicle motorcycle crash, officials announced Tuesday.

The patrols — on Broadway or on side streets just off Broadway — came during the opening weekend of Musikfest in Bethlehem.

Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio said toxicology testing showed a significant level of illicit controlled substances in Timothy Vanbilliard’s system, including methamphetamine, when he died May 11, 2025.