Criminal Justice

Brenda Rodriguez, 52, of Palmerton, is the final of three defendants to be sentenced in the Dec. 7, 2024, shooting death of her husband, Hector Garcia Gomez, in the parking lot of Loco Hot Deals, 1155 MacArthur Road.

Eric Dowdle led Lehigh County’s prosecution against two former Allentown vice officers before state attorneys took over those cases.

More than three dozen law enforcement professionals from the Lehigh Valley and beyond took part in the first training at the newly opened Joni Berner Esq ‘75-Expert Witness Training Center & Crime Scene Laboratory.

Two men are in Northampton County Prison after a traffic stop and vehicle search yielded the seizure of about 20,000 fentanyl pills.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced Thursday that an Allentown man charged in a fatal shooting outside a child's birthday party last year has been sentenced. He will serve 11 ½ to 28 years in state prison in the death of an Alburtis man.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has filed an emergency motion in Lehigh County Court requesting that a judge unseal documents in at least 22 criminal cases tied to an interstate drug ring. Among the defendants is Lehigh County Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi.

After his ousting in August 2023, Nadeem Shahzad pledged to sue the city for terminating him without cause.

Alfeni Romero-Taveras, 22, of Allentown, was charged Friday in the June 1, 2024, death of Angel Martinez-Velez on a basketball court at Fountain Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Two men face felony charges for stealing nearly $100,000 from Lowe's stores across the state. Investigators say the men used self-checkout kiosks to make purchases with their cell phones using information stolen from Lowe's customer accounts.

Police responded to a report of an armed person at Innovative Arts Academy in Catasauqua on Tuesday afternoon. An investigation is ongoing.

Pennsylvania State Police continue to investigate last week's double homicide in North Catasauqua. A search warrant filed in district court revealed new details in the investigation.

Nine juveniles who escaped from a detention center in Berks County and were at large for less than a day have been captured, state police said Monday.

Sammy Sasso was shot in a carjacking last month near Ohio State University. “Every donation, message, and positive thought has made a difference in Sammy's spirits and his path toward recovery,” his family says.

A 39-year-old woman and 16-year-old girl were found by '"distraught extended family members" in the home off Railroad Street, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

In the wake of a jail escapes in Chester and Warren counties, state Republican lawmakers are planning to introduce a set of bills to improve county jail security, infrastructure and staffing.

District Attorney Jim Martin said that people in the community should delete the video found on social media that shows a child being sexually abused.

Authorities in Pennsylvania said they captured escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante after hunting for him nearly two weeks.

The Connect Lehigh County program will make police aware of where participating private groups and residents have installed security cameras. Police hope this can help them quickly collect video evidence as they investigate crimes.

PA State Police said the department was pursuing Danelo Souza Cavalcante in Chester County and believe he's now armed.

The manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante, a convicted killer who escaped from Chester County Prison, is in its 11th day. Pennsylvania State Police said overnight that Cavalcante was spotted in the Phoenixville area and now is operating a white van.

The police pups will appear at the Petersville Gun and Rod Club's Basket Social on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Sammy Sasso, a state champion wrestler from Nazareth Area High School, was shot Aug. 18 in a carjacking near Ohio State University, where he is a student.