Two Motorcyclists ID'd After Crashes In Lehigh County Within Hours Of Each Other: Coroner
Two men were killed in separate motorcycle crashes hours apart in Lehigh County on Sunday, Aug. 3, authorities announced Monday, Aug. 4.
Stanley Aviles-Espaillat, 25, of Allentown, was pronounced dead at 8:17 a.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said. Aviles-Espaillat was operating a motorcycle that collided with a motor vehicle on the 300 block of W. Tilghman Street in Allentown around 3:20 a.m. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, and the manner was ruled accidental.
Hours later, Gavin J. Long, 20, of Middle Paxton Township, was ki…
Woman Found Injured, Whitehall Man Caught With Zipper Down After Bar Ride: DA
A Lehigh County man accused of raping and kidnapping a woman after a night at a bar is headed to trial, District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced on Monday, July 21.
Erik Contes, 42, of Whitehall Township, is charged with:
Felony Rape.
Felony Kidnapping To Facilitate A Felony.
Felony Sexual Assault.
Misdemeanor Indecent Assault.
His preliminary hearing was held before District Judge Jacob Hammond earlier in the day, and all charges were held for court. Contes is currently free after posting $100,000 bail.
The incident occurred just after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 2, 2024, when a South Whi…
‘Los Ten’ Ditched Passenger Begging For Help In Fatal Bethlehem Crash: DA
A driver who vanished into the woods after smashing a stolen car into a utility pole—leaving his passenger behind to bleed and scream for help—has finally been arrested, Lehigh County prosecutors announced on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
Jose Vladmir Jerez, 24, known by witnesses only as “Los Ten,” is now charged in the death of Ezequiel Hernandez-Cartagena, a 20-year-old from Allentown, who died after the wreck on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.
Jerez, also of Allentown, is facing the following charges:
Felony Accidents Involving Death or Personal Injury.
Felony Homicide by Vehicle.
Misdemeanor Invo…
Boy, 3, Dies Days After Drowning Incident In Northampton County, Coroner Says
A 3-year-old boy who was found unresponsive in a swimming pool in Northampton County has died from complications of drowning, Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio announced Friday, July 11.
Colonial Regional Police were dispatched to a home in Northampton County around 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 3, 2025, after receiving reports of a young boy drowning, according to the release.
Emergency crews removed the child from the pool and performed CPR before transporting him to Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, authorities said.
Despite medical efforts, the boy died on Monday, July 7, 2025, at 1…
Ghost Gun, $35K, 6 Kilos Of Cocaine Seized From Allentown Dealer: AG
A high-level drug trafficker operating in the Lehigh Valley is facing felony charges after authorities seized more than six kilos of cocaine, five handguns, and a ghost gun with a high-capacity magazine, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Thursday, July 10.
Angel F. Gil, 32, of Allentown, was the subject of a long-term investigation by the Bureau of Narcotics Investigations for trafficking cocaine in Lehigh and Northampton counties, according to the AG's release. Agents executed search warrants at two homes and two vehicles connected to Gil on Wednesday.
At a home on Gre…
Woman Dies After Jumping From Moving Car During Fight In Weisenberg: Coroner
A woman died after jumping from a moving vehicle and hitting the pavement in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Wednesday, July 9.
Abigail R. Smith, 24, of Upper Macungie Township, exited the passenger side of a Subaru sedan while it was still in motion on the 2300 block of Seipstown Road in Weisenberg Township, troopers said.
The crash occurred around 5:55 p.m. on Monday, July 7, according to the PSP Fogelsville Criminal Investigation Unit.
Smith struck the ground after leaving the vehicle, which was traveling eastbound and driven by a 33-year-old man, authorities detai…
85-Year-Old Allentown Grandfather Killed In Hit-Run Leads To Driver's Arrest Years Later: DA
An Allentown man has been charged in a deadly hit-and-run that killed 85-year-old grandfather Elian N. Makdsi in October 2023, authorities announced on Friday, June 27, 2025.
Jorge Gonzalez, 39, is accused of fatally striking Makdsi while driving a silver 2004 Mercedes-Benz at the intersection of North Jerome Street and Union Boulevard around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, according to Allentown Police and Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Makdsi, of Allentown, was found lying in the road with multiple blunt-force injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and his…
