Criminal Justice

Police were called Friday night to a residence in the 200 block of 10th Avenue in Bethlehem. There they found a 39-year-old woman dead and a 42-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.

A former tenant tied to a massive fire at their South Bethlehem apartment building will not face criminal charges, according to city police.

The 33-year-old was seen on surveillance footage throwing rocks at the building's doors, according to charging documents.

In 2025, LehighValleyNews.com readers gravitated toward stories that reflected mounting economic pressure, public safety concerns, environmental uncertainty and moments of sharp civic tension.

Pennsylvania’s distracted driving law will take full effect in 2026, marking one of the most consequential legal shifts for motorists in years and headlining a slate of new laws set to roll out across the Commonwealth.

Northampton County awarded 49 Public Safety Grant Awards, totaling $600,000, announced Friday by county Executive Lamont G. McClure.

Shaba Xavier Hill, 26, of Allentown, fatally struck the 77-year-old victim at Springhouse Road and Springwood Drive on Oct. 30, 2022. His sentencing hearing was held Tuesday before Lehigh County Court Judge Thomas Caffrey.

Costas Alestas, a 17-year veteran of the Bethlehem Police Department, was fired after the allegations came to light. He worked as a school resource officer at East Hills Middl School in the Bethlehem Area School District.

David J. Gibbs, 34, was killed and two others were hurt in a shooting early Friday morning inside Big Woody's Sports Bar and Restaurant on Allentown’s East Side, authorities said.

Anderson Jorge Cruz, 27, no known address, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter-unreasonable belief, a first-degree felony, for killing Juan Alfredo Sanchez, 24.

Justan Fields, a 36-year-old full-time worker, student and father of two, said he thought only 10 people would show up. Instead hundreds rallied and marched to city hall demanding social justice.

Ramona is a 5-year-old companion dog at the Lehigh County Courthouse. Her role is to help ease the trauma of testifying in court.

Local members of Black Lives Matter say they will meet this week with Allentown’s mayor and police chief to discuss ways to increase diversity in the police department Allentown’s head of law enforcement says policing needs to change.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf took steps yesterday to address violence and oppression against people of color. Wolf outlined a plan to…