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Hazleton, PA

Police & Fire
PA Man Stole $80K Pickup Truck From NY Dealership, Caught Months Later, Sheriff Says PA Man Stole $80K Pickup Truck From NY Dealership, Caught Months Later, Sheriff Says
PA Man Stole $80K Pickup Truck From NY Dealership, Caught Months Later, Sheriff Says A Pennsylvania man has been arrested after allegedly stealing an $80,000 pickup truck from a Putnam County car dealership, authorities announced.  The theft was originally reported on Monday, July 7, when staff at a Carmel dealership discovered that a 2025 Dodge Ram 3500 was missing, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday, Sept. 19.  The Sheriff's Office did not specify which dealership was victimized.  Deputies used the truck’s LoJack tracking system to locate it in Levittown, Pennsylvania in Bucks County, where it was recovered by Bristol Township Police.  …

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by Ben Crnic
News
NY Man Accused Of Brutally Killing, Burning Firefighter, Mom In PA Extradited NY Man Accused Of Brutally Killing, Burning Firefighter, Mom In PA Extradited
NY Man Accused Of Brutally Killing, Burning Firefighter, Mom In PA Extradited A New York man accused of brutally killing firefighter and mother Jessica Lockwood and setting her body on fire has been extradited to Pennsylvania to face homicide charges, authorities announced. Terrence Leroy Ray, 55, was picked up from the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla, New York, by detectives from Hazleton Police and Luzerne County after waiving extradition last week. He was transported back to Pennsylvania and arraigned Monday afternoon, May 12, before Magisterial District Judge James M. Dixon on charges of Criminal Homicide, Abuse of a Corpse, and Tampering with Evidence. Prose…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
HOMICIDE: Firefighter Mom ID'd As Burning Body Found Along PA Road HOMICIDE: Firefighter Mom ID'd As Burning Body Found Along PA Road
Homicide: Firefighter Mom ID'd As Burning Body Found Along PA Road The burning body discovered on a Hazleton road early Sunday morning has been identified as Jessica Ann Lockwood, 39, of Frackville. Her death is now being investigated as a homicide, Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce confirmed Monday, April 29. Lockwood’s body was found around 7 a.m. on April 27 along Club 40 Road. Firefighters initially responded to a report of a mannequin on fire, but when the flames were extinguished, they realized it was a human body. An autopsy conducted by the Luzerne County Coroner’s Office determined Lockwood died from blunt force trauma and a gunshot…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
'Then We Heard Screaming': Gunfire Erupts At Hazleton Playground, Police Say 'Then We Heard Screaming': Gunfire Erupts At Hazleton Playground, Police Say
'Then We Heard Screaming': Gunfire Erupts At Hazleton Playground, Police Say Gunshots rang out at a Hazleton playground packed with children, followed by the unmistakable sound of people screaming, police said. Officers were dispatched to Beech Street Park after multiple 911 callers reported shots fired near the basketball courts and people yelling in panic around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, the Hazleton City Police Department said in a release. When officers arrived, they learned the victim had already been rushed to the hospital by private vehicle. That person was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and later released from the emergency room, police sai…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Penn State Closing Some Commonwealth Campuses As Enrollment Drops: Find Out Which Ones Penn State Closing Some Commonwealth Campuses As Enrollment Drops: Find Out Which Ones
Penn State Closing Some Commonwealth Campuses As Enrollment Drops: Find Out Which Ones Penn State University will close some of its Commonwealth Campuses as part of a major restructuring effort, citing declining enrollment and shifting demographics across Pennsylvania. Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi announced the decision in a letter on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The university's 19th president said the system can no longer sustain all of its Commonwealth schools, which operate as satellites of the main State College campus. A final recommendation on which campuses will close is expected by the end of the spring semester. "We must acknowledge the realities before us,"…

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by Chris Spiker
Politics
DOJ: Hazleton Discriminates Against Hispanic Voters With 'At-Large System', Suit Claims DOJ: Hazleton Discriminates Against Hispanic Voters With 'At-Large System', Suit Claims
DOJ: Hazleton Discriminates Against Hispanic Voters With 'At-Large System', Suit Claims The federal government is suing Hazleton, accusing the city of discriminating against Hispanic voters with its at-large system for electing city council members, authorities said. The Department of Justice announced the lawsuit against the City of Hazleton in a news release on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The USDOJ claims Hazleton’s at-large voting system undermines the political influence of the city's growing Hispanic population, which comprises more than 40 percent of Hazleton voters. Despite this s…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Police Find Stabbing Victims During Hazleton Traffic Stop After Bar Fight Police Find Stabbing Victims During Hazleton Traffic Stop After Bar Fight
Police Find Stabbing Victims During Hazleton Traffic Stop After Bar Fight A routine traffic stop in Hazleton led officers to discover two stabbing victims and a violent bar altercation, police announced on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Jose Santomas Baez, 24, is charged with two counts of Felony Aggravated Assault, two counts of Misdemeanor Simple Assault, and one count of Terroristic Threats in connection with the incident, according to a press release from Hazleton City Police. The unusual series of events began at 4:02 a.m. when officers pulled over a silver Honda Civic that ran a red light near Broad and Church Streets. Inside, they found a man bleeding heavily …

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Hazleton Woman Killed In Fire: Lehigh County Coroner Says Hazleton Woman Killed In Fire: Lehigh County Coroner Says
Hazleton Woman Killed In Fire: Lehigh County Coroner Says A Hazleton woman's death was the result of a house fire, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office announced on Monday, Sept. 30. Lisa R. Thompson, 59, was pronounced dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest on Sunday, Sept. 29, according to the coroner. The cause of death is listed as Inhalation of Products of Combustion due to House Fire. The coroner ruled the death accidental. Structure fire with entrapment, one civilian successfully rescued from building: Just before 0630 this morning city... Posted by Hazleton Fire Department on Sunday, September 15, 2024 The ho…

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by Merriell Moyer
Police & Fire
Hazleton Shooting Victim Taken To Lehigh Valley Hospital: Police Hazleton Shooting Victim Taken To Lehigh Valley Hospital: Police
Hazleton Shooting Victim Taken To Lehigh Valley Hospital: Police A man was wounded from a gunshot to his right index finger as he was in the area of Alter Street and 17th Street on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, according to the Hazleton City Police Department. The man was treated at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton for the non-life-threatening wound and later released, police said. Police responded to a notification from the Raven Gunshot Detection System that shots were fired in the area of Alter and 17th streets. When they arrived on the scene, they found numerous shell casings along 17th Street. A vehicle that was parked nearby was found to have bullet …

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by Merriell Moyer
Police & Fire
Alcohol, Speed Possible Factors In ATV Crash Sending Rider To Lehigh Valley Hospital: Police Alcohol, Speed Possible Factors In ATV Crash Sending Rider To Lehigh Valley Hospital: Police
Alcohol, Speed Possible Factors In ATV Crash Sending Rider To Lehigh Valley Hospital: Police Alcohol and speeding are possible factors in the crash of an ATV in Hazleton, authorities said. Omar A. Veloz, 37, lost control of his ATV, crashing into a telephone pole, according to Hazleton police. On Sunday, Sept. 1 shortly before midnight, police were dispatched to Diamond Avenue and Cedar Street for a report of a crash. Upon arrival, officers located a Can-Am Maverick with significant damage, they said. Police learned that the ATV operator had been trying to pass a vehicle while traveling north on Cedar Street at a high rate of speed.  The driver and passenger were transporte…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
PA Mom Locks Children Out Of House While Passed Out High: Police PA Mom Locks Children Out Of House While Passed Out High: Police
PA Mom Locks Children Out Of House While Passed Out High: Police A 35-year-old woman from Hazleton has been charged with child endangerment after locking her child out of the house while high, authorities said. On Saturday, Aug 25, at approximately 3 a.m., officers with the Hazleton City Police Department were dispatched to West Elm Street and Poplar Street for a report of a child locked out of their home.  Upon arrival, police located the caller and the child.  The child reported sleeping in the mother's car and was ready to enter the house. Officers said they observed a pillow and blanket inside the vehicle.  After an officer knoc…

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by Jon Craig
News
Person Found Murdered Near PA High School, State Police Say Person Found Murdered Near PA High School, State Police Say
Person Found Murdered Near PA High School, State Police Say The person found dead near Hazleton Area High School last Wednesday, July 24 was the victim of a homicide, according to troopers.  The victim was found in a search of the wooded area behind the school, state police said in a release on Tuesday, July 30. Their name and gender were not reported but authorities said they were "likely homeless residing in the area they were discovered." The victim died from blunt force trauma, officials added.  Anyone with information is asked to contact Pennsylvania State Police Hazleton at 570-459-3890.

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by Mac Bullock