Criminal Justice

Jack Pletz, 24 and his father, Matthew Pletz, have been arrested. Seventeen explosive devices were found inside their pickup truck.

A Lehigh County jury found Steven M. Rosa, 30, guilty of first-degree homicide in the July 28, 2022, killing of Tywon Deleva Abner, 33, of Allentown just after 11 p.m. in the 500 block of West Allen Street.

A woman facing multiple felony charges in a fatal wrong-way crash last year on the Pennsylvania Turnpike was taken into custody Wednesday in Philadelphia, officials said.

Jose Batista-Gabin is the sixth person to face charges connected to 25-year-old Angel Martinez-Velez’s killing on June 1, 2024.

Police in the Lehigh Valley say the size of these gatherings presents a difficult operational challenge: how to respond without escalating already dangerous conditions involving fast-moving riders and large crowds.

Onanyeli Rosario-Mesa, 25, of Allentown, has been charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle and related offenses in connection with a wrong-way crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Tina Koren, 65, of Whitehall, who also is the township treasurer, was charged Monday with misdemeanor counts of official oppression and harassment, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said.

the operator reported unknown engine problems and tried to fly to a local airport in the area, but landed on I-78 eastbound at mile marker 45.6.

A lawsuit filed this week alleges Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and its parent company failed to protect a minor from a park employee who later pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting her.

Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi, who faces more than 100 drug-related charges, was in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.

Allentown police are investigating a homicide after a 38-year-old Allentown man died days after he was assaulted, according to the Lehigh County coroner.

It happened a little before 7 p.m. Wednesday at Easton Avenue and Beech Street in Bethlehem.

Clement Swaby was sentenced to up to 150 years in prison in the 2020 rape of a Lehigh University student, plus subsequent break-ins and attempted sexual assaults in Easton.

The three students placed in the C-Span StudentCam contest for their short documentary.

Lehigh County Judge Thomas Capehart denied the appeal of Patrick Palmer, who argued election staff should accept his paperwork because he paid a filing fee on time.

Patrick Palmer, an Allentown School Board director, argued in Lehigh County Court he should not be denied a spot on the primary ballot. County officials ruled he missed the March 7 filing deadline by a matter of seconds.

As a spike in antisemitic incidents continues nationally, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley hosted a summit in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League to try to fight back and push for solutions. Both incidents and instances of propaganda are increasing, officials say

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s nominees for attorney general and state police commissioner received unanimous approval from the Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate.

Lehigh Valley Health Network was victimized in a cybersecurity attack last month. The network said it refused to pay a ransom. Now, patient information and photos have been posted on the dark web, according to LVHN.

The force, made up of municipal, county and federal investigators, is designed to fight the sexual exploitation of children in the county, along with human trafficking more broadly.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact or that you might want to look at again.

Marc Muffley was arrested at his home in Lansford, Carbon County, on Monday night. A hearing is set for Thursday afternoon in federal court in Allentown on charges that include possessing an explosive device at an airport.