Criminal Justice

A man was carjacked at gunpoint Thursday after arranging a deal on Facebook Marketplace to sell shoes to two men, according to court documents.

The body of Jesse Rutt, of Walnutport, was discovered at 11:34 p.m. in the area of the Slate Heritage Trail in the 300 block of East Church Street.

Daniel Leibensperger, 34, of Emmaus, was charged Dec. 19, the day after after his girlfriend was stabbed, authorities said Tuesday in a news release. Leibensperger's body was found Dec. 26 in Allentown's Jordan Creek.

The body of an unidentified man was discovered Monday in the water of an underground quarry, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said.

Donations for 30 residents displaced can be made online or via mail (checks payable to UWGLV, 1110 American Parkway NE, Suite F-120, Allentown 18109 — attention “Cedar Street Fire Fund”).

Flames trapped a woman in the basement of her home, according to charges filed against Santos Mota-Ramirez. Police say he set the fire after trying to fatally stab another woman. The blaze affected seven row homes Thursday night and displaced 30 people.

Neighbors and community leaders responded to a row home fire that spread to other homes on West Cedar Street in Allentown on Thursday night.

Fountain Hill police and the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office charged two men with breaking into the Fountain Hill Pharmacy and opening fire on police, which led to a standoff and lockdown on Christmas Eve.

Two people were wounded in the 300 block of Ridge Avenue. Allentown police were called there as they investigated a separate shooting blocks away in which a 1-year-old and his grandmother were shot to death in their home.

Liz Pacheco, 37, of Allentown, is charged with homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, aggravated assault-attempting to cause serious bodily injury and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault — all first-degree felonies.

Michelle Kott is the first woman to serve as Bethlehem's police chief.

The governor's office estimates there are 30 to 50 pregnancies per year in the state prison system.

The county put a freeze on its work-release program over a year ago, but that could be changing.

Advocates for immigrant rights argue detention is inhumane and unnecessary.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro sent lawmakers a letter with six proposals to fill vacancies.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - COVID-19 cases appear to be dropping in Lehigh Valley jails, but the omicron surge continues to drive new lockdowns for inmates and…

Wolf said part of the solution is to improve job opportunities, increase community resources and fund schools.

Northampton County recently shut down its work-release program; Lehigh County ended its over a year ago.

The 13-year veteran of the Allentown Police Department had been hospitalized since early this year.

To help ease the strain of surging COVID cases, officials are considering letting some inmates go home on work release.

Chief Charles Roca will lead the department with Assistant Chiefs Michael Becker and James Gress.

The American Civil Liberties Union was among the chief opponents of approval.