Criminal Justice

Monday’s bomb threat came less than a week after another hoax, according to Allentown police.

The driver — only identified Friday as a 51-year-old man from Bethlehem — was taken to a local hospital after the crash, authorities said.

Lehigh County Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi is the only defendant in an alleged interstate marijuana ring whom authorities have publicly identified. He made his first public comments since being arrested Aug. 28 at his job at Bethlehem City Hall.

The controller's report — published in mid-July — says the Guardian ad Litem program in Lehigh County lacks centralization, oversight and consistency in billing and compensation. That undermines "public trust in child welfare proceedings," he said.

The case against Matthew Wolfe relied heavily on the expert testimony of Dr. Debra Esernio-Jenssen, the former Lehigh Valley Health Network physician being sued for alleged medical child abuse misdiagnoses. With her credibility under scrutiny, prosecutors agreed to cut years off Wolf's sentence.

Tracy and Joshua Dechant, charged with attempting to starve their teen sons to death, have 60 days to find a defense lawyer, a judge said.

John Derwin Bradley of Schnecksville was sentenced Thursday for the 2023 murder of a North Catasauqua mother and daughter and the aggravated assault of a juvenile who was seriously injured in a car crash after Bradley fled the scene with her in the vehicle.

Officials said having Argon around helps keep passengers at ease and safe from potential danger, while also serving as an asset upon request for other area authorities.

State Police, municipal police officers and members of the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office took part in virtual reality training at the Jane Scheller-Wayne Woodman Community Service Center at Lehigh Carbon Community College on Wednesday.

City officials last week were not able to comment if other city employees were currently subjects of the investigation following the arrest of Zachary Cole-Borghi.

Police said they have yet to locate a murder weapon. But they indicated the arrest of Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, in the Poconos early Friday was a breakthrough. “What I can tell you is we have an individual in custody who committed these horrible crimes and I do believe our community is safe,” Police Chief James Fry said.

The child died Tuesday after he was shot in the basement of an Allentown home. Authorities said his 10-year-old brother accidentally fired a handgun the boys found.

The victim in a Tuesday night shooting incident in Allentown was an 11-year-old child shot by his 10-year-old brother, police and the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said.

Pennsylvania State Police have arrested and charged a Glenside, Montgomery County, man with two second-degree felonies, other charges.

A three-car crash in Lower Macungie almost exactly a year ago has now resulted in several charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence.

Bethlehem Police promised more than $1M of the money, for body-cams and retention bonuses. Some of the money will go to justice initiatives and safety programs.

Games for Gunz, a new gun buyback program in Allentown is looking to specifically target teen gun violence by offering video game consoles in return for firearms.

Lehigh County commissioners approved a nearly $1 million contract with long-term vendor Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services Inc. though several commissioners and the county controller raised concerns about transparency.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro has announced the charges against 30 individuals and 21 businesses located in Lehigh, Lebanon and Philadelphia counties. They are accused of “title washing” and re-titling stolen vehicles.

The Community Connections Partnership joins social workers from the city's Health Bureau with police officers to connect people who need help with social services. The police chief says the program has been successful, but the idea is not universally popular.

After 65 years, the Philadelphia Police Department has finally identified the victim in the city’s oldest unsolved homicide case as 4-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli, of West Philadelphia.

An anonymous donor gifted Northampton County's Department of Corrections a 2-year-old Labrador to assist with examining seized property.