Allentown man convicted in 2022 slaying on city street

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown man charged in the 2022 shooting death of a man on a city street has been convicted of first-degree murder.

Steven M. Rosa, 31, was convicted by a jury of first-degree homicide and carrying a firearm without a license in the July 28, 2022, killing of Tywon Deleva Abner, 33, of Allentown.

Abner was shot in the 500 block of West Allen Street.

The trial began May 12 before Judge Robert L. Steinberg and the jury returned the verdict Thursday, Lehgh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said.

A first-degree murder conviction in Pennsylvania carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In a separate case tried with the homicide, Rosa was convicted of felony counts of witness intimidation and criminal use of a communications facility.

That case arose out of Rosa, while in Lehigh County Jail, using a computer tablet to intimidate a person who had information about the homicide to not testify.

Charged after nearly two years

Rosa was charged nearly two years after the shooting after a grand jury heard testimony presented by the district attorney's office.

The night of the shooting, Allentown police responded about 11 p.m. to reports of a shooting and found Abner with a gunshot wound, according to a release from Holihan's office.

According to the release, police and paramedics administered emergency aid, but Abner died at a local hospital.

The Lehigh County coroner ruled that Abner died from a gunshot wound to the chest and his death was ruled a homicide.

Rosa also is serving a state prison sentence following a conviction for a robbery which occurred after the murder.

Holihan credited the persistence and dedication of the detectives and prosecutors who worked on the case for years.

Holihan specifically cited Allentown Police Detective Miguel Villa, who maintained his involvement "as a vital part of this prosecution" even after his retirement.