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Tag: Lehigh County District Attorney's Office
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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Scooter Rider Struck, Killed; Next-Of-Kin Still Sought: Lehigh County Coroner
A man riding a scooter was killed in a crash in Allentown, and authorities are now trying to locate his next-of-kin, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office announced on Wednesday, July 16.
The victim, a 52-year-old man tentatively identified as “John Doe,” was traveling along North 8th Street just north of West Chew Street when he was struck by a vehicle, according to the coroner’s report. The impact ejected him onto the vehicle and then onto the roadway.
The crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 4, near the intersection of North 8th and West Chew Streets in Allentown, Lehigh County. …
Allentown Teens Shooting AR-15 From Stolen Jeep Carjack Woman Near School: DA
Three teens are charged as adults after spraying bullets from a stolen Jeep with an AR-15-style pistol and carjacking a woman outside a middle school, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Tuesday, June 24.
Marquee Bradley Carney, 15, of Allentown, Naseer Washington, 15, of Whitehall, and Amir Sims-Watson, 16, of Easton, are accused of carrying out a violent shooting spree and armed carjacking in Allentown on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
All three are charged with:
Felony Aggravated Assault.
Felony Discharge of a Firearm Into an Occupied Structure.
Misdemeanor Simple As…
Toddler Left Unattended In Pool Float Drowns During July 4 Party In Allentown, Dad Sentenced:DA
A Pennsylvania father has been sentenced in connection with the drowning death of his 23-month-old son during a backyard pool party, authorities announced on Friday, May 23.
Rafael Cabrera, 40, of Allentown, pleaded no contest to Felony Involuntary Manslaughter for the 2022 death of his son, Aydeen Cabrera, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office said. Cabrera was sentenced to five years of probation by Judge James T. Anthony.
Allentown police were called to the family's home on the 500 block of North Fenwick Street around 6:20 p.m. on Monday, July 4, 202,2 for a report of a toddler fo…
Mugshot Released Of Florida Suspect In Pennsylvania After-Hours Club Murder (Update)
A Florida man accused of killing a woman and injuring two men at an after-hours club in Pennsylvania will face all charges in Lehigh County Court, authorities announced on Friday, May 9.
Alberto Jose Rios-Santiago, 26, of Deltona, Florida, is charged with felony criminal homicide, two counts of felony aggravated assault, and one count of misdemeanor possessing an instrument of crime, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.
Following a preliminary hearing before District Judge Rashid Santiago on April 25, 2025, all charges were held for court, authorities said. Rios-Sant…
Allentown Football Player Killed Over Bag Of Chips, Teen Murderer Sentenced: DA
A teenager who shot and killed 15-year-old Treshawn Tracy over a bag of chips at an Allentown park has been sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison, authorities announced on Thursday, May 8.
Elijah Patterson, now 19, was convicted in March of First-Degree Murder, Firearms Not to be Carried Without a License, and Possession of a Firearm by a Minor, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan.
Tracy, a William Allen High School sophomore and junior varsity football player, was gunned down at Stevens’ Park on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. He was pronounced dead at the scene with…
Child Abused By Mom's Live-In BF Lands NJ Man Decades In PA Prison: Lehigh DA
A New Jersey man who sexually abused a 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl while living with her mother in Lehigh County has been sentenced to decades in state prison, authorities announced on Monday, April 22.
Spartak A. Fedorovich, 38, of Phillipsburg, began sexually abusing the girl in Upper Saucon Township when she was 12, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office. At the time, he was living in the same household as the victim.
Police were dispatched to the home for a report of suspicious activity on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, and the girl later disclosed she had been in a sexua…
27-Year-Old PA Woman Dies After Scooter, Vehicle Collision In Allentown: Coroner
A 27-year-old woman from Wyomissing has died following a crash involving a motor scooter and a motor vehicle in Allentown, authorities said.
The incident happened around 6:08 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, in the 600 block of Union Boulevard, according to the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.
The victim, identified as Marie D. Colon Rodriguez, was operating a motor scooter when it collided with a vehicle, officials said.
“Ms. Colon Rodriguez was pronounced dead on Monday, April 21, 2025 at 11:09 AM at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Muhlenberg,” the coroner’s office said.
Her cause of death was listed…
Gunmen Accused Of Killing Ivan Diaz Jr. Outside Allentown Club Ordered To Face Trial
Two Allentown men accused in the deadly shooting outside a nightclub that killed Ivan Diaz Jr. will face trial, authorities announced on Thursday, April 10.
Pedro Junior Paulino, 35, and David Isaiah Rivera, 26, both had all charges held for court following their preliminary hearing before District Judge David M. Howells Jr., according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Both men are charged with Criminal Homicide, three counts of Attempted Murder, three counts of Aggravated Assault, and Recklessly Endangering Another Person. Rivera faces an additional charge of Firearms …
Allentown Inmate With Criminal History Dies By Suicide At Lehigh County Jail: Coroner
An Allentown man with a lengthy criminal history of drug and fraud-related offenses has died by suicide while incarcerated at Lehigh County Jail, authorities announced on Friday, March 14.
Forest M. Touchberry, 31, was found unresponsive in the facility before being rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital, Sacred Heart Campus, where he was pronounced dead at 3:29 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, according to the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.
An autopsy confirmed the manner of death as suicide, the office said.
Originally from Allentown and most recently living in Philadelphia, Touchberry had been e…
$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, Feb. 28.
Hirtik Hemchand Khatri, 24, of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, allegedly orchestrated a high-stakes fraud that convinced the victim to empty his savings, fearing he’d be arrested if he didn’t comply, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Whitehall Township Police Chief Michael Marks said.
Khatri, who twice showed up at the victim’s home in a Mercedes-Benz to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in gol…
Whitehall Murder-For-Hire: Wife, Ex-Girlfriend Plotted Husband’s Killing, DA
A Palmerton wife is accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot that ended with her husband's fatal shooting in a Whitehall Township parking lot, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Tuesday, Jan. 29.
Brenda Rodriguez, 51, was arrested on Monday, Jan. 28, and is being held in Lehigh County Jail without bail.
Rodriguez is charged with Criminal Solicitation – Criminal Homicide, Conspiracy – Aggravated Assault, and Aggravated Assault, all felonies of the first degree, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled fo…
NJ Mom Of 4 Found Dead In Coopersburg Dumpster ID’d As Homicide Victim: Coroner
A mother of four from New Jersey was found dead in a dumpster in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, in what authorities have ruled a homicide, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office announced Monday, Jan. 13.
UPDATE: Arrest Made In Killing Of Elizabeth Mom Found Dead In PA Dumpster
Lucrecia Elizabeth Jadan Sumba, 39, of Elizabeth, NJ, was discovered in the 200 block of South 3rd Street on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 5:55 p.m., according to Coroner Daniel A. Buglio. An autopsy completed Monday revealed she died from sharp force injuries.
The case has been classified as a homicide, Buglio said. Authorities fr…
PA Man Accused Of Murdering, Dismembering Roommate Commits Suicide: Coroner
A Lehigh County inmate accused of killing and dismembering his roommate last year has died by suicide at a hospital, the coroner announced on Sunday, Jan. 12.
Joshua Douglas Moser, 34, of Allentown, was pronounced dead at 3:41 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, at St. Luke's Hospital in Allentown, according to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio.
Moser, who was being held at Lehigh County Jail, was charged in May 2024 with homicide, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence in the murder of his 37-year-old roommate, David Hittinger, authorities said and Daily Voice previously reported.
Inv…
Allentown Gang Member Sentenced To Up To 30 Years For 2023 Double Shooting: DA
A gang member will serve up to 30 years in state prison for a 2023 double shooting in Allentown that left two victims seriously injured, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, Dec. 20.
Dimitrius Bashir Campbell, 24, of Allentown, pleaded guilty on Oct. 18, 2024, to attempted third-degree murder and conspiracy to commit homicide, both first-degree felonies, according to the DA.
At a sentencing hearing on Dec. 16, Campbell was ordered to serve 15 to 30 years behind bars by Judge Robert L. Steinberg.
Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 300 block of Ri…
Inmate Found Unresponsive At Lehigh County Jail Dies: Investigation Underway
A Lehigh County Jail inmate was found unresponsive in his cell on Saturday, Dec. 14, and later pronounced dead, authorities said.
Linwood Jones, 62, was discovered unresponsive in his cell at the Allentown facility around 4:20 p.m., according to the Lehigh County Department of Corrections. Staff immediately declared a medical emergency and began CPR before EMS arrived and took over, Director of Corrections Janine Donate said.
Jones was transported to St. Luke's Hospital-Allentown by ambulance, where he was pronounced dead at 5:20 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15, officials said.
Jones had been admi…