Official Oppression, Harassment Charges Filed Against Whitehall Tax Collector: Lehigh County DA
A Whitehall Township tax collector is facing criminal charges tied to an alleged dispute with her neighbors, authorities announced.
Tina Koren, 65, of Whitehall, has been charged with misdemeanor Official Oppression and Harassment, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan said in a release on Wednesday, April 8.
The complaint was filed on Monday, April 6, following an investigation that began in September 2025 after neighbors Mary Ellen and Steven Griffin reported alleged harassment at their home on the 3300 block of South Ruch Street, according to the release.
The Grif…
$700K Gold, Bitcoin Scam: ‘PayPal’ Poser From NJ Cons Elderly Lehigh County Man, DA Says
A slick con artist posing as a PayPal agent scammed a 74-year-old Pennsylvania man out of nearly $700,000 in gold and cryptocurrency, authorities revealed on Friday, Jan. 16.
Hirtik Hemchand Khatri, of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Nov. 20 to felony charges of Theft by Extortion, Theft by Unlawful Taking – Movable Property, and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility, according to Holihan.
Khatri was sentenced at a hearing before Judge Thomas M. Caffrey to 12 months, minus a day, to 36 months in prison for both theft charges, along with two years of proba…
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…
Infant Home During AR‑15 Fatal Shooting Of Allentown Mom; Ex‑BF Exited Through Fire Escape: DA
A 22-year-old Pennsylvania mother was fatally shot inside her Allentown apartment while her infant son was in the next room — and her ex-boyfriend, accused of entering through a fire escape and opening fire with an AR‑15-style rifle, has been held for trial.
Jerkera B. Battle, a Bethlehem native and Liberty High School graduate, was found dead at 6:06 a.m. Tuesday, July 22, in the hallway of her home in the 700 block of W. Turner Street, according to the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office. She had been shot in the head, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Her 3-month-old son, Noah, was inside t…
Palmer Township Rocked By Explosions, Fogelsville Felon Captured 1 Year Later: Police
A convicted felon accused of setting off explosions in Palmer Township one year ago has been captured, Palmer Township police announced on Saturday, Sept. 13.
Ronald Erney, 57, of Fogelsville, was identified as the suspect behind the blasts that shook neighborhoods last year, according to police.
Detectives executed a search warrant at Erney’s home in Upper Macungie Township on Friday, Sept. 12, forcing an evacuation of nearby residents until the area was deemed safe, police said.
Inside, investigators discovered chemicals and bomb-making components, including fuses, cardboard tubing, PVC …
Whitehall Dad’s Conviction In 2-Month-Old Daughter’s Death Vacated, Sentence Slashed: DA
A Pennsylvania father’s conviction in the death of his infant daughter has been vacated, and his lengthy sentence was cut, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Monday, Sept. 8.
Matthew Wolfe, 40, of Whitehall, pleaded no contest to Third-Degree Murder and Endangering the Welfare of a Child before Judge James Anthony, resulting in a sentence of 4½ to 9 years in prison followed by two years of probation, according to the DA. He had previously been convicted by a jury in 2017 and sentenced to 20 to 40 years in state prison, the DA said.
The case was reopened after a re…
Next Of Kin Sought After Accidental Death: Lehigh County Coroner
A Frackville man died after a fall, and the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office is seeking his family for final arrangements, officials announced on Friday, Sept. 5.
John B. Malehorn, 62, was pronounced dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, at 9:19 a.m., according to the coroner’s office.
The cause of death was complications from injuries sustained in a fall, and the manner of death was ruled accidental.
The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office & Forensic Center is asking the public for help locating Malehorn’s family or next-of-kin. Anyone with information is urge…
18-Year-Old Killed In Rollover Crash Down Embankment Into Trees: Lehigh County Coroner
An 18-year-old man was killed after his car rolled down an embankment and struck several trees in Lowhill Township, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office announced on Monday, Aug. 25.
Cole D. Hausman, 18, of Weisenberg Township, was pronounced dead at 10:36 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24, at the scene of the crash in the area of State Route 100 southbound and Lyon Valley Road, according to the coroner.
Hausman was driving when his vehicle veered off the road, traveled down an embankment, and hit multiple trees, authorities said.
The coroner ruled his cause of death as blunt force head injuries from …
PA Native Dies 20 Days After Crash With Parked Cars, Utility Pole: Lehigh Coroner
A St. Clair man was killed in a crash that left several cars and a utility pole damaged, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office announced on Sunday, Aug. 24.
Patrick J. Davie, 74, was pronounced dead at 12:47 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22, at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, according to Coroner Daniel Buglio. His cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma from the crash, and his manner of death was ruled accidental.
The wreck happened around 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, along the 300 block of East Railroad Street in St. Clair, Schuylkill County, officials said. Davie was driving when his vehi…
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…
$1M Cross-Country Title-Washing Ring Used Stolen Porsches, Audis, BMWs In PA: AG
A high-end title-washing ring based in central Pennsylvania profited more than $1 million by selling stolen luxury cars from Florida, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
The fraudulent operation was allegedly led by 44-year-old Anthony E. Troncoso, who, with a network of 12 others, used fake documents to “wash” vehicle titles, then sold over two dozen stolen cars to private buyers, dealers, and auction houses between 2022 and 2023, according to AG Sunday.
The vehicles—many of them Porsches, Audis, BMWs, Land Rovers, and other high-end brands—were stolen in Florida. …
Phillipsburg Man Arrested For Shooting In Pennsylvania: Prosecutor
A 20-year-old Phillipsburg man was arrested and charged with firing several shots at a residence, authorities announced Monday, Aug. 4.
On Sunday, Aug. 3, at 3:36 a.m., Phillipsburg police responded to the 400 block of Anderson Street after receiving a ShotSpotter alert and discovered a suspect, later identified as Andrew Weaver, fired several shots at a residence, one of which penetrated through a window, the Warren County Prosecutor's Office said.
No injuries were reported, authorities said.
Video footage identified the shooter as Weaver, authorities said. At 3 p.m., that same say, Penns…
Two Motorcyclists ID'd After Crashes In Lehigh County Within Hours Of Each Other: Coroner
Two men were killed in separate motorcycle crashes hours apart in Lehigh County on Sunday, Aug. 3, authorities announced Monday, Aug. 4.
Stanley Aviles-Espaillat, 25, of Allentown, was pronounced dead at 8:17 a.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said. Aviles-Espaillat was operating a motorcycle that collided with a motor vehicle on the 300 block of W. Tilghman Street in Allentown around 3:20 a.m. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, and the manner was ruled accidental.
Hours later, Gavin J. Long, 20, of Middle Paxton Township, was ki…
Woman Found Injured, Whitehall Man Caught With Zipper Down After Bar Ride: DA
A Lehigh County man accused of raping and kidnapping a woman after a night at a bar is headed to trial, District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced on Monday, July 21.
Erik Contes, 42, of Whitehall Township, is charged with:
Felony Rape.
Felony Kidnapping To Facilitate A Felony.
Felony Sexual Assault.
Misdemeanor Indecent Assault.
His preliminary hearing was held before District Judge Jacob Hammond earlier in the day, and all charges were held for court. Contes is currently free after posting $100,000 bail.
The incident occurred just after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 2, 2024, when a South Whi…
‘Los Ten’ Ditched Passenger Begging For Help In Fatal Bethlehem Crash: DA
A driver who vanished into the woods after smashing a stolen car into a utility pole—leaving his passenger behind to bleed and scream for help—has finally been arrested, Lehigh County prosecutors announced on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
Jose Vladmir Jerez, 24, known by witnesses only as “Los Ten,” is now charged in the death of Ezequiel Hernandez-Cartagena, a 20-year-old from Allentown, who died after the wreck on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.
Jerez, also of Allentown, is facing the following charges:
Felony Accidents Involving Death or Personal Injury.
Felony Homicide by Vehicle.
Misdemeanor Invo…
Boy, 3, Dies Days After Drowning Incident In Northampton County, Coroner Says
A 3-year-old boy who was found unresponsive in a swimming pool in Northampton County has died from complications of drowning, Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio announced Friday, July 11.
Colonial Regional Police were dispatched to a home in Northampton County around 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 3, 2025, after receiving reports of a young boy drowning, according to the release.
Emergency crews removed the child from the pool and performed CPR before transporting him to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, authorities said.
Despite medical efforts, the boy died on Monday, July 7, 2025, at 1…
Ghost Gun, $35K, 6 Kilos Of Cocaine Seized From Allentown Dealer: AG
A high-level drug trafficker operating in the Lehigh Valley is facing felony charges after authorities seized more than six kilos of cocaine, five handguns, and a ghost gun with a high-capacity magazine, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Thursday, July 10.
Angel F. Gil, 32, of Allentown, was the subject of a long-term investigation by the Bureau of Narcotics Investigations for trafficking cocaine in Lehigh and Northampton counties, according to the AG's release. Agents executed search warrants at two homes and two vehicles connected to Gil on Wednesday.
At a home on Gre…
