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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…
23-Year-Old Berks County Woman Dies After Medical Emergency, Coroner Says
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…
$700K Gold, Bitcoin Theft: ‘PayPal’ Poser From NJ Scams Elderly PA 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…
PA Parental Murder Conspiracy; 55lb Twin Teens Starved, Forced Outside Naked: DA
A Lower Macungie Township mother and stepfather accused of starving their twin 15-year-old sons to just 55 pounds, forcing them outside naked in freezing temperatures, beating them, and coercing them to lie to authorities are now facing conspiracy to commit murder charges, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced Friday, Feb. 21.
Starvation, Isolation, and Physical Abuse
The abuse was uncovered on Jan. 22, when Pennsylvania State Police responded to a call on Divot Drive and found one of the teens, "Victim 1," running naked in 2-degree weather. The boy said his stepfather forc…
PA Missing 14-Year-Old May Be Sex Trafficking Victim, Family Fears: 'In Extreme Danger'
The family of a 14-year-old Pennsylvania girl missing for over a month is pleading for answers, fearing the teen may be the victim of sex trafficking.
Northampton County resident Enci “Aubrey” Wu, of Palmer, was last seen in Lehigh County, at a Wawa convenience store in South Whitehall, on Friday, Jan. 10, her father John Gehrmann said on a GoFundMe campaign.
“We are asking for the support of family, friends, community and survivors to help us rescue Enci Wu,” Gehrmann said. “She has unique circumstances placing her in extreme danger and we are asking for your help. There is a high likeliho…
Drug Raid Nabs Convicted Felon Colton Nace With Pounds Of Meth, Fentanyl, Cash, Gun: DA
A convicted felon and drug dealer was busted in a high-intensity drug trafficking raid in Allentown that uncovered pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other drugs, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Allentown Police Chief Charles Roca announced on Thursday, Feb. 13.
Colton Kenneth Nace, 35, of Allentown, was taken into custody after search warrants were served at two homes on Hanover Avenue and Hall Street, authorities said.
Investigators seized approximately 15.4 pounds of methamphetamine, 270 grams of methamphetamine powder, three pounds of marijuana, 20 grams of …
Stalker Who Cut Power, Sent Vulgar Gifts To PA Women Sentenced: DA
A man who stalked women in Bucks and Lehigh counties by attaching GPS trackers to their vehicles, sending obscene gifts, and breaking into a home has been sentenced to prison, authorities announced on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
Matthew Bustin, 33, of King of Prussia, was sentenced to five to 24 months in county prison with three years of probation after pleading guilty to Stalking – Repeatedly Committing Acts to Cause Fear in Lehigh County on Nov. 7, 2024, according to District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Prosecutors had sought a state prison sentence, but Judge James T. Anthony handed down the s…
Murder-For-Hire Plot: PA Wife, Ex-Girlfriend Plotted To Kill Husband, 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…
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…
KidsPeace Facility Under Investigation After Assault, Harassment Allegations: PA State Police
Two incidents involving teenage girls at the KidsPeace facility in North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, have led to investigations by Pennsylvania State Police in Bethlehem announced on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.
The first incident was reported on Friday, June 28, 2024. A 14-year-old girl from Douglassville alleged that she was harassed with physical contact by another client, according to police. The details of the harassment remain under investigation.
Months later, on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, a separate and more severe allegation emerged. A 13-year-old girl from Kearneysville, West Virgi…
Hundreds Of Snow Geese Found Dead In Pennsylvania, Avian Flu Suspected
Avian influenza is suspected to have caused the deaths of hundreds of snow geese discovered at two locations in the greater Allentown area on Monday, Dec. 30, authorities announced on Thursday, Jan. 2.
The deceased geese were recovered from sites in Lower Nazareth Township, Northampton County, and Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
The agency encourages anyone encountering sick or dead wild birds to report them by calling 1-833-PGC-WILD, emailing pgc-wildlifehealth@pa.gov, or submitting details online at pgcapps.pa.gov/WHS.
Reports of sic…
Man Stabs Girlfriend In Back, Found Dead In PA Creek Days Later(Update)
A domestic dispute turned violent when a Bethlehem man stabbed his girlfriend with a pocketknife, only to be found dead days later in Jordan Creek, Lehigh County authorities revealed on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
Daniel Leibensperger, 34, was cooking up more than trouble when he attacked his girlfriend in the kitchen of their Emmaus apartment on Wednesday, Dec. 18, police said.
Officers were called to the 600 block of Minor Street around 6:30 p.m. for an assault, only to discover the woman lying in agony with the knife still lodged in her back—handle and all, authorities said.
The victim recounte…
Armed Burglary, Standoff At PA Pharmacy On Christmas Eve Lands 2 Charges
Two men have been charged following an armed burglary and standoff with police at the Fountain Hill Pharmacy in Lehigh County on Christmas Eve, authorities announced Wednesday, Dec. 25.
Miguel Martinez, 56, of Allentown, and David Vazquez, 33, of Bethlehem, face multiple charges, including felony burglary, felony recklessly endangering another person, and several misdemeanors such as theft by unlawful taking, prohibited offensive weapon, and possessing an instrument of crime, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
The charges stem from an incident at 1049 Broadway th…
Woman ID'd In PA Fatal House Fire: Coroner
An 81-year-old woman who died following a house fire in Catasauqua, has been identified, the Lehigh County announced on Friday, Dec. 20.
Kathryn E. Kubinsky, was pronounced dead at her home in the 600 block of Walnut Street at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, according to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio. She was found in the living room of the residence, which had sustained damage from a fire incident, Buglio said in a release.
An autopsy conducted on Friday, Dec. 20, revealed that Kubinsky died from natural causes, experiencing a natural death event prior to the fire.
“The l…
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…
Light Snow Dusts Berks County, Huffs Church Reports 0.3 Inches
The National Weather Service has released snow totals from this week's winter storm.
Snowfall accumulation impacted areas across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New York, with Sussex County, NJ, and Putnam County, NY, seeing the highest totals from Sunday, Dec. 15 into Monday, Dec. 16.
Below are detailed figures reported by state, county, and town, as per the National Weather Service:
New Jersey
Mercer County:
Trenton Mercer Airport: Trace (11:59 PM, 12/15)
Morris County:
Butler (1 S): 3.0 inches (5:15 AM, 12/16)
Sussex County:
Wantage Twp: 4.1 inches (5:00 AM, 12/16)
Wan…
Homicide: Man Shot Dead In Whitehall Township Parking Lot, Coroner Says
A man was shot and killed in a Whitehall Township parking lot on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, authorities announced.
The shooting occurred around 6:05 p.m. in the parking lot of 1155 MacArthur Road, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said. The victim was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, where he was pronounced dead at 7:43 p.m.
The coroner ruled the death a homicide and said the man, who was struck by multiple gunshots, has been positively identified. His name is being withheld to allow his family time to grieve. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
The Whitehall Towns…
Bucks County Family’s 'Glue' Mourned After Fiery Crash In Lehigh County
Raymond "Buddy" Reigle, 38, who his family described as their "glue" during a string of devastating losses, was killed in a fiery crash in Lower Milford Township on Monday, Dec. 2. Now, his heartbroken loved ones are asking for community support to help give him a proper farewell.
Ray Reigle, known to his family as the person who held them together through tragedy, was tragically killed when his 2014 Toyota Sienna veered off Route 663 in Quakertown, struck a tree, and caught fire early Monday morning, Dec. 2, Pennsylvania State Police said.
The crash, which occurred at 4:19 a.m. near Kings…
Burn Injuries Lead To Pennsylvania Man's Death Following Barn Fire: Coroner
A man who received severe burn injuries in a barn fire died in the hospital, according to the Lehigh County Coroner on Monday, Nov. 18.
Michael Kane, 77, of Damascus Township, Wayne County, was pronounced dead from burns he received during the barn fire while at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest at 2:45 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17, a news release from the coroner states.
The fire happened in the 700 block of Butternut Flats in Damascus Township at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, according to the news release.
Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio listed the cause of death as "Complication…
NJ Man Could Get Up to 146 Years In Prison For Sexually Assaulting Lehigh County Girl: DA
A New Jersey man is facing up to 146 years in jail after being convicted for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old Lehigh County girl, according to a Friday, Nov. 15 news release.
Spartak A. Fedorovich, 38, of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, was found guilty of all charges relating to the sexual assault, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office.
Charges against Fedorovich stem from an investigation by Upper Saucon Township police who were dispatched to a home for a report of suspicious activity on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022 , according to the district attorney's news release.
Off…
NJ Teen Dies In Fiery Crash On I-78 In PA: Coroner
A Saddle Brook, NJ teenager died in a car crash along Interstate 78 in Lehigh County early Monday, the coroner said.
Ciarra Sanchez, 19, was pronounced dead on-scene in Upper Saucon Township on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, at 1:38 a.m., according to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio.
Sanchez was the driver of a vehicle that veered off the eastbound side of I-78 at Mile Marker 60.3, striking a concrete bridge pillar, Buglio said.
Her cause of death was listed as multiple blunt force injuries due to the collision, with the manner of death ruled accidental.
Pennsylvania State Police at Fog…
