Tag:

Criminal Justice

Woman Arrested After Ex-BF Accused Of Firing Fatal Shot In PA Parking Lot: DA Woman Arrested After Ex-BF Accused Of Firing Fatal Shot In PA Parking Lot: DA
Woman Arrested After Ex-BF Accused Of Firing Fatal Shot In PA Parking Lot: DA A second arrest has been made in the killing of Hector Garcia Gomez, a Palmerton mechanic fatally shot in a Whitehall Township parking lot during a dispute, authorities announced Friday, Dec. 20. Liz Pacheco, 36, of Allentown, is accused of conspiring with her former partner, Christian Martinez-Ramos, to locate and kill Garcia Gomez, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Whitehall Police Chief Michael Marks. Pacheco has been charged with first-degree felony counts of criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, and aggravated assault, as well as misdemeano…
Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA
Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA Two men have been charged in connection with an undercover operation targeting underage human trafficking in Berks County, authorities announced on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Keith George Manwiller, 49, of Hummelstown, and Mathew Christian Koroma, 23, of Sinking Spring, were arrested during the sting conducted by the Berks County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force, according to Chief County Detective Michael Gombar. Both men are accused of responding to online ads placed by detectives on websites commonly used for sexual advertisements. The suspects allegedly agreed to meet and p…
Foster Mom Admits To Strangling Infant In Lehigh County Foster Mom Admits To Strangling Infant In Lehigh County
Foster Mom Admits To Strangling Infant In Lehigh County A North Whitehall Township foster mother has admitted to asphyxiating and strangling a 1-year-old girl in her care, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Brenda Broadwater, 49, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a victim under 13 and endangering the welfare of children during a hearing before Judge Robert L. Steinberg. Both charges are felonies, and her plea agreement includes a minimum prison sentence capped at three years. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. The charges stem from a call to Pennsylvania State P…
Florida Man Traveled To Pennsylvania To Rape Child In Sting Operation: DA Florida Man Traveled To Pennsylvania To Rape Child In Sting Operation: DA
Florida Man Traveled To Pennsylvania To Rape Child In Sting Operation: DA A Florida man is behind bars after attempting to pay $300 to sexually assault a child in Chester County, the district attorney’s office announced on Tuesday, Dec. 3. **WARNING THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE DISTURBING** James Richards, 53, of Satellite Beach, Florida, was arrested on Nov. 30, 2024, as part of a sting operation by Chester County detectives. Authorities said Richards believed he was meeting a 9-year-old child and brought $300, lubrication jelly, and Skittles candy to a prearranged location where he was taken into custody. Richards is charged with Attempted Rape of a Child, Traffic…
Trump Taps Loyalist Kash Patel As FBI Director Trump Taps Loyalist Kash Patel As FBI Director
Trump Taps Loyalist Kash Patel As FBI Director President-elect Donald Trump announced that 44-year-old loyalist and New York native Kashyap “Kash” Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,  Trump described Patel as a "brilliant lawyer, investigator, and 'America First' fighter, in an announcement shared to social media on Sunday, Dec. 1. He praised Patel’s career of “exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people.” "He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution," Trump sai…
PA Kids Club Employee Who Showed 'Dark Web' Suicides To Boys He Assaulted Sentenced: DA PA Kids Club Employee Who Showed 'Dark Web' Suicides To Boys He Assaulted Sentenced: DA
PA Kids Club Employee Who Showed 'Dark Web' Suicides To Boys He Assaulted Sentenced: DA A former Neshaminy Kids Club worker was sentenced to 35 to 88 years in state prison for sexually assaulting seven boys and filming some of the abuse, Bucks County authorities announced on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. Gerald William Spoto, 42, of Disk Lane in Bristol Township, pleaded guilty in July to nearly three dozen charges for crimes committed between the late 1990s and 2023. He was also declared a sexually violent predator, requiring lifetime sex offender registration and treatment. These assaults of seven boys included "sleepovers" in New Jersey, Detectives with the Middletown Township Pol…
PA Man Shots, Kills Friend During Fight Over Video Game, DA Says PA Man Shots, Kills Friend During Fight Over Video Game, DA Says
PA Man Shots, Kills Friend During Fight Over Video Game, DA Says A 21-year-old man from Phoenixville has been charged with homicide following the fatal shooting of his friend in Schuylkill Township allegedly during a fight over a video game, authorities announced Friday, Nov. 8. Holden Hoffsis was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder, Third Degree Murder, and related offenses for allegedly shooting 21-year-old Daniel Gray in the chest during an argument early in the morning, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and Schuylkill Township Police Department. Police were dispatched to a residence on Westhorpe Lane at approximatel…
Virginia Man Wanted In Delco Child Rape Case Arrested: Police Virginia Man Wanted In Delco Child Rape Case Arrested: Police
Virginia Man Wanted In Delco Child Rape Case Arrested: Police A Virginia man who was wanted in Delaware County for raping a child was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 8, according to police. Candelario Ochoa Bravo, 47, of Emporia, Virginia, was charged for raping a nine-year-old girl at a residence in Sharon Hill Borough in 2012, according to police documents. **WARNING THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE GRAPHIC** Bravo is accused of taking the girl from a bath, laying her on a bed, and performing oral sex on her in 2012, the criminal complaint states.  **WARNING THE ABOVE DETAILS ARE GRAPHIC** The girl reported the incident to police in 2017 and again more r…
Amish PA Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: DA Amish PA Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: DA
Amish PA Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: DA An Amish dad has been sentenced after pleading guilty to raping his daughters repeatedly for his daughters over 18 years, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced and as detailed in court documents obtained by Daily Voice.  Amos Ebersol, 60, of the 500 block of South Fairmont Road, Ephrata, pleaded guilty to numerous felonies and misdemeanors for raping and sexually assaulting his daughters, which was accepted by Judge David Ashworth on Friday, Oct. 4, according to the DA. He was sentenced to spend 12 to 24 years in state prison.  Ebersol was charged with the fol…
Philly Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At NJ Hotel: Feds Philly Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At NJ Hotel: Feds
Philly Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At NJ Hotel: Feds A Philadelphia man admitted to trying to hire a preteen girl as a prostitute and meet her at a New Jersey hotel, authorities said. Louis Goldenberg, 41, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 18, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. He was charged in September 2023 with attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. According to court documents and statements, Goldenberg started messaging an undercover agent posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece in August 2023. For the next month, Goldenberg continually expre…
Former PA 8th Grade Teacher Accused Of  Sex Abuse With Former Student Former PA 8th Grade Teacher Accused Of  Sex Abuse With Former Student
Former PA 8th Grade Teacher Accused Of Sex Abuse With Former Student A former 8th-grade math teacher at a South Philadelphia school has been charged with unlawful contact with a teenage girl, records show. Michael O'Brien, 48, taught 8th grade math at the Christopher Columbus Charter School starting in 2021, the school told Daily Voice. Administrators immediately fired him after learning about his arrest.  He was taken into custody on Aug. 30, according to court records. The victim is a 16-year-old girl and was previously taught by O'Brien at the K-8 school, according to 6abc.com. The abuse happened multiple times in 2024, including in mid-July, t…
3-Year-Old Ayla Miller Beaten To Death By PA Grandma Johnson: Affidavit 3-Year-Old Ayla Miller Beaten To Death By PA Grandma Johnson: Affidavit
3-Year-Old Ayla Miller Beaten To Death By PA Grandma Johnson: Affidavit A 56-year-old grandmother is accused of beating her 3-year-old granddaughter to death over Labor Day weekend, Pittsburgh Public Safety announced on Sunday, Sept. 1. Denise Johnson of Pittsburgh's North Side has been charged with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, aggravated assault, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children, according to the police and court records.  The charges stem from an investigation by homicide detectives after her 3-year-old granddaughter Ayla Miller was found dead by other family members — including another child — in Johnson's apartment, as …
Convicted Child Rapist Extradited To PA From England: DA Convicted Child Rapist Extradited To PA From England: DA
Convicted Child Rapist Extradited To PA From England: DA A convicted child rapist was extradited to Pennsylvania from England after fleeing the country, authorities said. Gerard Zalewski, 41, skipped bail in April 2006 before his sentencing hearing on child rape charges, according to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent In Charge Wayne A. Jacobs. Zalewski was located 10 years later in Lancashire, England when he was convicted and sentenced to prison on charges similar to those he was convicted of in Montgomery County, they said on Tuesday, Aug. 27. An investigation r…
Western PA Man Convicted For Fake 'Kidnapping For Drugs' Plot: DA Western PA Man Convicted For Fake 'Kidnapping For Drugs' Plot: DA
Western PA Man Convicted For Fake 'Kidnapping For Drugs' Plot: DA A McKean County man was convicted on Friday, Aug. 23 in a fake "kidnapping for drugs" plot, authorities said. Tuesday Hale, formerly of Bradford, was found guilty of crimes related to the staged kidnapping in August 2023, according to District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer. The conviction followed a two-day jury trial at the McKean County Courthouse, she said. Hale was charged after the City of Bradford Police received a report from a Bradford man who had received messages – including a staged picture – from his girlfriend’s cell phone stating that his girlfriend had been kidn…
Philly Woman With 15 Warrants Threatened To Kill Atlantic City Boardwalk Store Worker: Police Philly Woman With 15 Warrants Threatened To Kill Atlantic City Boardwalk Store Worker: Police
Philly Woman With 15 Warrants Threatened To Kill Atlantic City Boardwalk Store Worker: Police A wanted Philadelphia woman was accused of threatening to kill a worker at a store on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, authorities said. Fatima Gadson, 33, was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the Atlantic City Police Department said in a news release. She was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, simple assault, terrorist threats, and obstruction of justice. Police responded to a report of a fight involving a gun at a business on the 2500 block of the Boardwalk at around 11:39 a.m. The employee said Gadson blocked the store's entrance and spat on the employee when the two began argui…
Man Sentenced For Trying To Meet Girl For Sex In Bucks County: DA Man Sentenced For Trying To Meet Girl For Sex In Bucks County: DA
Man Sentenced For Trying To Meet Girl For Sex In Bucks County: DA A Pottstown man was sentenced to 8 ½ to 17 years in Pennsylvania State Prison for trying to meet a 12-year-old girl for sex in Bensalem Township, authorities said. Uturah Golson, 33, pleaded guilty in April to criminal attempt to commit rape of a child, criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and criminal solicitation to photograph or film a child sex act, according to the Bucks County District Attorney. Golson appeared before Common Pleas Judge Charissa J. Liller on Thursday, Aug. 1, and she sent him to state prison for up to 17 years. Additionally, she sentenced…
PA Mom Charged With Attempted Homicide Of Baby, Prosecutors Say PA Mom Charged With Attempted Homicide Of Baby, Prosecutors Say
Abigail Horn Charged With Attempted Homicide Of Infant: DA A Lansford woman is accused of "causing significant harm" to her infant, said the Northampton County District Attorney's Office.  Abigail Horn, 18, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and endangering the welfare of a child, prosecutors wrote in a release.  Witnesses told Bethlehem police in May that they saw Horn "smothering" the then-6-week-old child, according to authorities. Others said Horn caused the baby to "scream and gasp for air," and on a separate occasion, "squeezed the infant and caused the infant to scream in apparent pain." Photo evidence showed …
Bergen County Pastor Repeatedly Performed Sex Acts On Child: Criminal Complaint Bergen County Pastor Repeatedly Performed Sex Acts On Child: Criminal Complaint
Bergen County Pastor Repeatedly Performed Sex Acts On Child: Criminal Complaint A 74-year-old Paramus church pastor has been arrested and charged with 21 counts of sexual offenses for disturbing sexual assaults on a girl between ages 13 and 18 for years, authorities announced Friday, July 12. Stephen E. Sweet, the pastor at Grace's Lutheran Church in River Edge, became the center of an investigation on Thursday, July 11, on a tip that he'd sexually assaulted a juvenile in the past, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. ** WARNING: The following news article contains graphic and disturbing information. Reader discretion is advised ** Sweet sexually assaulted…
19-Year-Old Charged With Shooting Into Easton Home: Authorities 19-Year-Old Charged With Shooting Into Easton Home: Authorities
Jaishaun Wright-White Charged With Easton Shooting: PD A suspect is in police custody for firing a gun at an occupied home in Easton, officials said Thursday, July 11.  Jaishaun Wright-White, 19, was arrested at his S. 12th Street home, according to city police.  The shooting happened in broad daylight on Monday afternoon, July 1, authorities said previously. A masked suspect reportedly fired multiple rounds into a home on the 1200 block of Spruce Street in what police have described as a targeted attack.  Wright-White is charged with discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and related counts and is being held on …
Schuylkill County Man Faces Federal Meth Trafficking Charges Schuylkill County Man Faces Federal Meth Trafficking Charges
Schuylkill County Man Faces Federal Meth Trafficking Charges Federal prosecutors have accused a Schuylkill Haven resident of selling methamphetamine.  John Kyle Smith, 40, is charged with possession with intent to distribute, said the US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Prosecutors said the charges stem from an incident on Feb. 29.  If convicted, Smith could face up to 20 years in prison plus a period of supervised release and a fine, according to officials.  The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the state Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigations. 
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A member of a burglary ring that specifically targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware was sentenced to a plea-bargained 33 months in federal prison. James Hurt, 48, of New York, and other members of the second-story crew worked from what the FBI called a hit list of dozens of homes in the four states based on “stereotype and opportunity" from Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019. The burglars often got into homes through unsecured upper-floor windows before seeking out cash, jewelry and guns, the FBI said In one instance, th…
Daughter Rescues Adoptive Sister Bicycle Chained To Bed By Mom In PA: Affidavit Daughter Rescues Adoptive Sister Bicycle Chained To Bed By Mom In PA: Affidavit
Daughter Rescues Adoptive Sister Bicycle Chained To Bed By Mom In PA: Affidavit A Western Pennsylvania mom was caught by her biological daughter having chained her adoptive daughter to a bed with bicycle chains for approximately five days, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice.  Marylou Dewitt, 53 of Scottdale, was arrested following a police pursuit near Pittsburgh ending near the Fort Pitt Bridge, according to a release by the Pennsylvania State Police.  Dewitt's adult biological daughter contacted the police after she went to Sheetz for midnight snacks and returned home to hear screaming from an upstairs bedroom — where she found her care-de…
Bucks County Man Accused Of Stabbing Stepdad In Chest: Police Bucks County Man Accused Of Stabbing Stepdad In Chest: Police
Bucks County Man Accused Of Stabbing Stepdad In Chest: Police A 21-year-old is charged with attempted homicide after a stabbing in Trevose on Tuesday night, May 21, Bensalem police say.  Authorities said they were called to a Boston Street home around 8:30 p.m. They found Angelo Torres-Nantipia outside with a knife and placed him into custody without incident, police said in a release.  On the patio deck, officers found Torres-Nantipia's stepfather "with a sucking chest wound" from an apparent knife attack, officials said. First responders applied a chest seal and took him to  Jefferson Torresdale Hospital for emergency surgery, ac…
GUILTY: 9-Year-Old's Rapist Convicted After 30 Minutes Of Deliberation In LanCo, DA Says GUILTY: 9-Year-Old's Rapist Convicted After 30 Minutes Of Deliberation In LanCo, DA Says
Guilty: 9-Year-Old's Rapist Convicted After 30 Minutes Of Deliberation In LanCo, DA Says A Pennsylvania man has been convicted of rape charges after a two-day trial and 30 minutes of jury deliberations this week, authorities announced. Timothy Barker, 48, of Leola, was between the age of 40 and 44 at the time of the abuse, which began in 2018 when Barker was in a caregiving role to the victim, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said. Barker told the victim he wanted to “teach her how to use her body correctly," according to the DA's office. The victim disclosed the abuse when she was 17 and was interviewed in 2023 by the Lancaster County Children’s Alliance af…
Bethlehem Police Officer Sexually Assaulted Student At School, Authorities Say Bethlehem Police Officer Sexually Assaulted Student At School, Authorities Say
Bethlehem Police Officer Sexually Assaulted Student At School, Authorities Say A now-former Bethlehem school resource officer is accused of sexually assaulting a student at East Hills Middle School, authorities said in a release.  BPD said they were informed of a "possible inappropriate relationship" between Officer Costas Alestas and a 14-year-old EHMS student on May 1. Alestas was placed on administrative leave and his phone was seized as evidence, police said.  Investigation revealed that Alestas had been texting the victim, "includ(ing) conversations about engaging in sexual acts," according to police.  Authorities said Alestas went on to assault t…
Ephrata Amish Dad Accused Of Raping Daughters: Affidavit Ephrata Amish Dad Accused Of Raping Daughters: Affidavit
Ephrata Amish Dad Accused Of Raping Daughters: Affidavit An Amish father has been charged with 15 felonies and 3 misdemeanors for raping and sexually assaulting four of his daughters over 18 years, as detailed by Ephrata Police Detective Beth Rivera in court documents obtained by Daily Voice on April 17.  On March 20, 2024, Amos Ebersol, 59 of the 500 block of South Fairmont Road, Ephrata, was charged with the following, according to his court docket: Felony Rape (three counts). Felony Incest (three counts). Felony Aggravated Indecent Assault with a person under 16 years of age (three counts). Felony Contact or Communication with a Minor - …
Pair Stole Over $7K From Bucks Hardware Stores, Police Allege Pair Stole Over $7K From Bucks Hardware Stores, Police Allege
Pair Stole Over $7K From Bucks Hardware Stores, Police Allege Authorities in Warrington were called about a child locked in a parked car and discovered a stash of stolen merchandise instead, according to police.  Kristal Smith of Jersey City, New Jersey and Desteni Grant of Brooklyn, New York are each charged with evading arrest and receiving stolen property, Warrington Township police said in a release.  Officers were called to the Home Depot parking around 5 p.m. on March 2, after a bystander spotted a blanket draped over a baby seat in a parked car, authorities said.  Police arrived and found stolen merchandise hidden under the…
Elmwood Park PD: Quartet From PA Nabbed After One Waves Loaded Gun Out Sedan Window Elmwood Park PD: Quartet From PA Nabbed After One Waves Loaded Gun Out Sedan Window
Elmwood Park PD: Quartet From PA Nabbed After One Waves Loaded Gun Out Sedan Window Elmwood Park police seized a Pennsylvania couple and two minors who they said had a loaded gun, a high-capacity magazine and hollow-point bullets in their car. Officers responding to a report of a male passenger brandishing a gun out the window of a blue 2019 Chevy Malibu on Donor Avenue stopped the sedan on Elmwood Terrace shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, Police Chief Michael Foligno said. As they approached, the officers saw a front passenger shove the gun between his feet, the chief said. All four occupants were ordered out of the vehicle, Foligno said. Officers recovered a …
'Altercation' Ends In Deadly Shooting On Reading Street: Authorities 'Altercation' Ends In Deadly Shooting On Reading Street: Authorities
'Altercation' Ends In Deadly Shooting On Reading Street: Authorities One man is dead and another is in police custody after shots rang out on a Reading street late Wednesday, March 13, according to authorities.  First responders were called to the 900 block of Franklin Street around 10:15 p.m., Reading police wrote in a release.  They arrived to find Antonio Carrero dead at the scene, the department said.  Investigators believe Carrero and suspect Jonathan Minier "got into an altercation" before the shooting. Minier, 27, was arrested and charged with homicide and related counts, police said.  Court records show his bail was de…
Philadelphia Man Raped Child, Chester County Court Finds Philadelphia Man Raped Child, Chester County Court Finds
Philadelphia Man Raped Child, Chester County Court Finds A Philadelphia man was convicted on multiple felony counts including rape and indecent assault of a child in a Chester County court on Wednesday, Feb. 28, authorities say.  Gregory Shamberger, 59, first came under investigation in August 2021, Parkesburg police wrote in a release. Detectives said he sexually assaulted the victim multiple times. Chester County detectives assisted Parkesburg police in the investigation, the department said.  Shamberger was remanded to the Chester County Prison pending his formal sentencing hearing, authorities added. 
Officers 'Justified' In Fatal Shooting Of Felon, Shippensburg Alum In Carlisle, DA Officers 'Justified' In Fatal Shooting Of Felon, Shippensburg Alum In Carlisle, DA
Officers 'Justified' In Fatal Shooting Of Felon, Shippensburg Alum In Carlisle, DA After reviewing events leading up to the fatal shooting of a 33-year-old man, Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack ruled the police were justified in the killing.  Nathaniel Lawrence Liberator, of Carlisle, was shot dead after police attempted to detain him for questioning following a disturbance in the area of the 300 block of C Street at 1:59 p.m. on Jan. 13, as Daily Voice previously reported. The officers were seen on body camera calmly asking him to stop walking away from them, the DA explained. The officers had no information about his mental healt…