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Child Calls 911 After PA Mom Shot Dead By BF In Basement: DA
A child called 911 after their mother was shot inside their Rostraver Township home, and the woman’s boyfriend has been charged with homicide. The case against Robert Chaplin will proceed to trial, a magisterial judge ruled on Tuesday, March 11, following a brief preliminary hearing.
Rostraver Township Police and county detectives responded to the 900 block of Route 136 just before 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5, after the child’s emergency call reported a shooting.
Officers arrived to find Chaplin, 34, standing in the driveway. Inside, they discovered Estela Rivera Vasquez, 35, lying on th…
Fight Between Two Women Ends In Shooting, York Police Say
A fight between two women in York escalated into gunfire, leaving both injured, city police announced on Tuesday, March 11.
Officers were called to the 800 block of West King Street at 9:26 p.m. on Monday, March 10, for reports of a shooting. On arrival, they found a 33-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, according to police.
A 53-year-old woman, identified as the suspect, also suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, authorities said.
Investigators determined the shooting stemmed from a dispute between the two, who knew each other, police detailed in the release.
B…
NJ Man Who Paid To Torch $6M PA Book Warehouse, Injuring Firefighter, Sentenced: DOJ
A New Jersey man who orchestrated the arson of a Bucks County book warehouse—injuring a firefighter and causing over $6 million in damages—has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, authorities announced.
Ramiz Duka, 62, of Cherry Hill, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for his role in the Dec. 10, 2022, fire at Ebooks Web LLC on Bridgewater Road in Bensalem, Acting U.S. Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr. said on Monday, March 10.
Duka conspired with two men to set the warehouse ablaze, paying them $15,000 for the job, investigators previously revealed.…
NJ Attorney, PA Mom Smuggled Contraband To Inmate In Federal Prison: DOJ
A New Jersey defense attorney and a Philadelphia woman are accused of sneaking contraband—including a cell phone, drugs, and cigarettes—into the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Philadelphia, federal authorities announced on Friday, March 7.
Paul DiMaio, 56, of Turnersville, New Jersey, and Tanya Culver, 55, of Philadelphia, were arrested and charged with providing contraband to an inmate and aiding and abetting, Acting U.S. Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer Jr. said.
On Feb. 4 at 10:53 a.m., DiMaio—who is a practicing criminal defense attorney—was recorded on FDC surveillance video entering t…
PA Mom Dies After Fall While Helping Friends Move
A Lehigh County mother of two died after a tragic fall while helping family friends move, authorities and loved ones said.
Julie A. Becker, 32, of Richland Township, was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at St. Luke’s Hospital, Allentown Campus, according to the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy was completed on Monday, March 10, but her cause and manner of death remain under investigation.
According to a Meal Train page set up in her memory, Becker fell while assisting friends with a move, suffered cardiac arrest, and later passed away.
Her brother, Danie…
Backstreet Boy’s Son Shines On ‘American Idol’
Baylee Littrell, son of Backstreet Boys legend Brian Littrell, took a major step in his music career Sunday night, March 9, earning a golden ticket to Hollywood on ‘American Idol.’
The 21-year-old from Atlanta, GA, performed an original song before judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie during the season premiere on FOX.
“Something about you looks familiar,” Underwood told Littrell during his audition.
Littrell, who grew up surrounded by music, said he hopes to “do his dad justice” with his talent. “I guess you can say music runs in our family,” he said.
Despite his musica…
Delayed Emergency Response Blamed For PA Woman’s Death Before Boyfriend’s Proposal: Loved
A Pennsylvania woman who suffered a severe asthma attack died after what her loved ones say was a delayed emergency response, and now they’re calling for change.
Azara F. Mapp, 23, of Maxatawny Township, was pronounced dead at 12:25 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office on Monday, March 10. An autopsy was completed, but her cause and manner of death remain under investigation.
Mapp’s family and friends say her death was preventable. According to a GoFundMe campaign set up in her memory, she suffered a life-threate…
Driver On Meth Kills Grandma In Rt 22 Crash: DA
A man who was high on meth when he crashed his car, killing his passenger on Route 22 in Whitehall Township, has been sentenced to state prison, prosecutors announced on Monday, March 10.
Juan Ramone Sierra, 45, of Allentown, pleaded guilty on Jan. 16 to Homicide by Vehicle While Driving Under the Influence, Accidents Involving Death While Not Licensed, and Driving Under the Influence – Controlled Substance – 2nd Offense, court records show.
Lehigh County Judge Thomas M. Caffrey sentenced Sierra to five to 10 years in prison followed by seven years of probation, according to District Atto…
