Criminal Justice

The false bomb threat prompted a 90-minute evacuation at Allen High School on Thursday. Police are investigating.

The former Nazareth Area and Ohio State University wrestling star enrolled in an ARD program. Charges of unlicensed gun possession and drug possession are likely to be dismissed upon completion of the program.

Authorities did not name the boys — ages 14 and 15 — as they announced charges of terroristic charges and assault by physical menace.

Grelvis Estevez Cabrera, of Bethlehem, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole for the June 1, 2024, killing of 25-year-old Angel Martinez-Velez.

Marquis Michael Watkins, 25, on Thursday was convicted of second-degree murder and related offenses after a four-day Northampton County Court jury trial, county District Attorney Stephen G. Baratta said.

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.

Three people were shot and killed in a span of seven hours between Thursday night and early Friday in Allentown. The mayor called gun violence "a toxin" in the city and pushed legislators to help get guns off the street.

Thursday's March For Our Lives rally marks its fifth anniversary since its inception after a 2018 mass shooting at a Florida high school. Hundreds are expected at Thursday's rally in Harrisburg, which coincides with rallies this week in Florida, Michigan, California and Texas.

A former pediatrician at Lehigh Valley Health Network's LVPG Pediatrics-Whitehall has been charged after sexual messages with a female minor in Washington Township, Warren County New Jersey

A six-month investigation found the state’s “competency” review system is so broken it often extends incarceration, which can exacerbate mental health issues.

Joseph Zanette and Justin Taylor, both of Pen Argyl, each face several charges in connection with the weekend blasts. Authorities said they seized several fireworks during searches of the men's residences.

Another social-media fueled challenge has spurred a rise in the theft of Kia and Hyundai vehicles in Pennsylvania, but has the trend caught on in the Lehigh Valley?

Reporting an increase in violent incidents in the state's prisons in 2022, the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association has suggested that staffing needs to increase, and policies need to be reviewed to help make the prisons safer.

At a press conference Thursday, DA candidate Stephen Baratta criticized incumbent district attorney Terry Houck over three cases from his tenure. Houck hit back in response.

Court officials from Northampton County first asked for help getting more staff over a year ago. Since November, the center netted no new full-time hires.

The "Roadblocks to Reentry" event at Northampton Community College brought officials, social workers and students together to experiences the challenge involved with reentering society after incarceration

Two 15-year-old girls were removed from Northampton Area High School and will be charged after several threats of violence were made against the school.

A motorcade of 40 dirt bikes and ATVs ignored traffic laws and endangered others last year. They also delayed an injured Allentown detective from getting medical treatment. Only one driver, a Pen Argyl man, has been identified and charged.