Sixth Suspect Arrested In Fountain Park Ambush Killing Of Angel Martinez-Velez: DA
A sixth suspect has been arrested in the broad-daylight ambush that left a 25-year-old man dead on a basketball court in Allentown, authorities announced on Monday, May 4, 2026.
Jose Batista-Gabin, 23, of the Bronx, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals over the weekend and is currently being held in a New York prison awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said.
He is charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, and tampering with evidence in connection with the June 1, 2024, killing of Angel Martinez-Velez at Fountain Park.
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Murder-For-Hire: Wife, Ex-GF, Gunman All Sentenced In Husband’s Whitehall Killing
All three defendants charged in a murder-for-hire plot that ended with a man gunned down in a Whitehall Township parking lot have now pleaded guilty and received state prison sentences, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced Wednesday, Nov. 5.
Brenda Rodriguez Sentenced
Brenda Rodriguez, 52, of Palmerton, was sentenced to 2½ to 10 years in state prison for her role in the killing of her husband, Hector Garcia Gomez. She pleaded guilty in September to Conspiracy – Aggravated Assault, a felony of the first degree, and was sentenced by Judge Robert L. Steinberg.
Rodriguez…
Dad On PA's Most Wanted List For Incest, Child Rape Possibly In Allentown
A New Jersey native and father accused of repeatedly raping a child in Palmer Township remains on Pennsylvania State Police’s Top 10 Most Wanted list, authorities announced on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Benicio Antoin Benifield, 39, of Newark, is charged with multiple felonies including aggravated indecent assault of a child, rape by threat of forcible compulsion, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person under 16, incest, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and other related offenses, according to the Palmer Township Police Department.
The charges were filed in June 2022…
Allentown Child Rapist Who Faced 121 Years In Prison, Sentenced, Here's How Long He Got
An Allentown man convicted of raping a child for years has been sentenced — but not to the 121 years in prison he was facing, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Taron Dortch, 44, was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in state prison, followed by six years of probation, for sexually abusing a girl at multiple locations across Lehigh County, including a home in Allentown and an apartment in South Whitehall Township.
The abuse happened between 2019 and 2021, while Dortch was in a relationship with the girl’s mother. The victim was between 9 and 12 years o…
Westchester Public Building Ranked Among Ugliest In US, New Survey Finds
A national survey has named the "ugliest" public buildings in the US, and several from the Northeast landed high on the list.
The study, conducted by New Jersey realtor Rob Dekanski, focused on how residents view the design of civic buildings across the country. More than 3,000 people were surveyed in July, with results weighted by age, gender, and geography.
Courthouses and city halls dominated the rankings, with 18 Northeast locations ranked.
"Not every government building gets the same level of affection as a courthouse with columns or a historic city hall," Dekanski wrote in a blo…
Former CNN Anchor Charles Bierbauer Dies; Penn State Grad, Allentown Native
Charles Bierbauer, the steady CNN voice from the Pentagon to the White House who later built a journalism powerhouse at the University of South Carolina, has died. He was age 83.
Bierbauer’s death at his Spruce Pine, North Carolina, residence on Friday, Aug. 29, came as he enjoyed retirement, a university spokesperson said. No cause was given, but the family’s obituary said “his generous heart gave out after a good, long life.”
During his more than two decades at CNN, Bierbauer served as the Pentagon correspondent from 1981 to 1984 and as the senior White House correspondent throughout the …
Sixth DUI In 13 Years Lands Allentown Woman 7 Years In Prison: Lancaster DA
An Allentown woman has been sentenced to up to seven years in state prison after pleading guilty to her sixth DUI, Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, Aug. 15.
Carla A. Bartell, 59, was sentenced to 16 months to seven years in prison for four counts of driving under the influence, two drug offenses, and two traffic violations, according to the DA. Her sentence, imposed by Judge Dennis Reinaker on Sunday, Aug. 4, will run consecutively to a separate 18-month sentence for a parole violation tied to a prior DUI in Lehigh County.
This marks Bartell’s third DUI in th…
Brothers Busted With 9 Kilos Of Cocaine, Cash In Allentown Drug Raid: DA
A major drug bust in Allentown uncovered nine kilos of cocaine worth more than half a million dollars, authorities announced on Thursday, Aug. 14.
Two brothers — Jefran Canales-Tapia, 39, and Jeffrey Canales-Tapia, 37, both of Allentown — are facing multiple drug charges after search warrants were executed at their homes earlier in the day, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Allentown Police Chief Charles Roca.
Jefran Canales-Tapia, of 1153 E. Tremont St., will be charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine, criminal conspiracy to possession with in…
'Her Name Will Not Be Forgotten': Best Friend Remembers Jerkera Battle, 22, Killed In Allentown
The 22-year-old woman shot dead in her Allentown home this week is being remembered as a joyful, animal-loving young mom whose smile never failed to light up a room.
Jerkera B. Battle, a Bethlehem native and Liberty High School graduate, was found shot in the head on Tuesday, July 22, inside her home in the 700 block of W. Turner Street, as Daily Voice previously reported. Her ex-boyfriend, Adam Makowka, 27, has been charged with criminal homicide and is awaiting extradition to face charges in Lehigh County, authorities said.
Now, Battle’s best friend is speaking out.
'13 Years Of Non-Stop…
Mom Sells Daughter For Drugs, Allentown Man Picks Up Next Victim From School In Uber, DA Says
An Allentown man who raped a 12-year-old girl after she was sold to him for cash and drugs, and lured another from middle school using an Uber, will serve up to five decades in state prison, authorities announced on Tuesday, July 22.
Joshua Mickey Martel, 32, pleaded guilty to Rape of a Child, Trafficking in Individuals, and Statutory Sexual Assault, all felonies of the first degree, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Martel was sentenced to 21 to 50 years in state prison by Judge Robert L. Steinberg and must register for life as a sexual offender, the DA’s offic…
DHS Calls 'Allentown Grandfather' Story A Media Hoax, Says ICE Never Deported Him
A national outcry over the alleged secret deportation and death of an elderly man from Allentown has been debunked, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday, July 21.
Luis Leon, an 82-year-old Chilean national, was never deported to Guatemala, never arrested, and has no record of any green card appointment in Philadelphia on the day in question, according to DHS officials.
“ICE never arrested or deported Luis Leon to Guatemala. Nor does ICE ‘disappear’ people—this is a categorical lie,” said Assistant Secretary McLaughlin.
The Morning Call had published a report on Sunday, Ju…
Kutztown Basketball Star Tamir Johnson’s Shooting Ruled Justified In Road Rage Case: DA
No criminal charges will be filed in the shooting death of Kutztown University basketball star Tamir Johnson, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Monday, July 21.
Johnson, 35, of Whitehall Township, was killed around 3:37 a.m. on Sunday, July 6, at 5th and Hamilton streets in Allentown after allegedly attacking another driver with a metal bat during a road rage incident.
The driver of the Honda Prius, identified only as John Doe, was deemed legally justified in shooting Johnson under Pennsylvania's “Stand Your Ground” law, investigators concluded.
🚗 What Happened?…
Scooter Rider Killed In Allentown Crash Identified As 52-Year-Old Rufus Martin: Coroner
A scooter rider who died after a crash with a car in Allentown has been identified as Rufus A. Martin, the Lehigh County Coroner announced on Thursday, July 17.
Martin, 52, of Allentown, was riding a scooter northbound on N. 8th Street just past W. Chew Street when he was hit by a vehicle around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 4, authorities said. The impact ejected Martin off the scooter, causing him to strike the vehicle and land on the roadway, according to the coroner’s report.
He was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, where he was pronounced dead at 8:46 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15.
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