Find Your Daily Voice
Park Planned In Coopersburg To Honor Memory Of Ayden Scharper, 19, Mom Says
A local park honoring Southern Lehigh graduate and standout athlete Ayden Scharper is being planned in Coopersburg, his mother announced in a fundraiser launched just days after his death.
Ayden J. Scharper, 19, died by suicide in Allentown on Friday, June 6, and now his family is working to preserve his memory by building a recreational space that reflects his love for sports and the outdoors.
His mother, Jessica Scharper, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $30,000 for a park in Coopersburg. In the first four days, it has brought in more than $22,000 from over 200 donors.
“New homes an…
Promising College Athlete, Photographer, 19, Found Dead On Allentown Sidewalk: Coroner
A 19-year-old standout athlete from Upper Saucon Township was found dead on a sidewalk in Allentown late Friday night, officials announced on Tuesday, June 10.
Ayden J. Scharper, a 2023 Southern Lehigh High School graduate, was pronounced dead at 11:49 p.m. on Friday, June 6, on the 800 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, according to the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.
Scharper was discovered on the sidewalk at the scene. An autopsy determined the manner of death was suicide, the coroner said, adding that no foul play was suspected, the coroner’s office noted.
He had been a standout ki…
Facebook Friend, Roommate Stabbed, Burned Alive By Easton Gang Member: AG
An Easton gang member with a violent past has been convicted of brutally killing his Facebook friend, 18-year-old Tyrell Holmes, stabbing him before setting him on fire while he was still alive, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced in a release on Monday, June 3.
A Northampton County jury previously found Alkiohn Dunkins, 26, guilty of first-degree murder and related charges after seven days of testimony detailing the 2018 killing. Holmes was discovered near a dumpster outside an apartment complex, suffering from four stab wounds to his neck and torso, authorities said.
Dunki…
Toddler Left Unattended In Pool Float Drowns During July 4 Party In Allentown, Dad Sentenced:DA
A Pennsylvania father has been sentenced in connection with the drowning death of his 23-month-old son during a backyard pool party, authorities announced on Friday, May 23.
Rafael Cabrera, 40, of Allentown, pleaded no contest to Felony Involuntary Manslaughter for the 2022 death of his son, Aydeen Cabrera, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office said. Cabrera was sentenced to five years of probation by Judge James T. Anthony.
Allentown police were called to the family's home on the 500 block of North Fenwick Street around 6:20 p.m. on Monday, July 4, 202,2 for a report of a toddler fo…
'Justice For Evan' Campaign Launched To Support Allentown Cop Accused Of Rape, Sexual Servitude
A campaign to support a decorated Allentown police sergeant accused of rape and sexual servitude has been launched by a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who calls the charges "false" and “unjust.”
Samuel P. Royer, Chief Production Officer at Salute Home Loans and a friend of the Weaver family, announced the creation of a legal defense fundraiser on Thursday, May 15 through a website: JusticeForEvan.com.
Sergeant Evan Weaver, 45, of Weisenberg Township, is facing multiple felony charges alongside former vice officer Jason Michael Krasley, 47, of Upper Milford Township, in a case that dates back mor…
Mugshot Released Of Florida Suspect In Pennsylvania After-Hours Club Murder (Update)
A Florida man accused of killing a woman and injuring two men at an after-hours club in Pennsylvania will face all charges in Lehigh County Court, authorities announced on Friday, May 9.
Alberto Jose Rios-Santiago, 26, of Deltona, Florida, is charged with felony criminal homicide, two counts of felony aggravated assault, and one count of misdemeanor possessing an instrument of crime, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.
Following a preliminary hearing before District Judge Rashid Santiago on April 25, 2025, all charges were held for court, authorities said. Rios-Sant…
Guns, Fentanyl, Ecstasy Seized In Allentown Raid, 4 Arrested: Police
A major drug and gun bust in Allentown led to four arrests after police raided a home packed with illegal narcotics and high-powered weapons, authorities announced on Thursday, May 8.
Allentown Police Vice, Emergency Response Team, and Patrol officers executed a search warrant at a home in the 900 block of Gordon Street at approximately 6 a.m., according to Captain Daniel Gross. Inside, officers found Ricky Schlott, Felix Luna, Raymond Rodriguez, and Arianna Abreu.
Police say they recovered a stolen handgun, two assault-style rifles, a bolt-action rifle, a shotgun, firearm parts, loaded mag…
Allentown Football Player Killed Over Bag Of Chips, Teen Murderer Sentenced: DA
A teenager who shot and killed 15-year-old Treshawn Tracy over a bag of chips at an Allentown park has been sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison, authorities announced on Thursday, May 8.
Elijah Patterson, now 19, was convicted in March of First-Degree Murder, Firearms Not to be Carried Without a License, and Possession of a Firearm by a Minor, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan.
Tracy, a William Allen High School sophomore and junior varsity football player, was gunned down at Stevens’ Park on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. He was pronounced dead at the scene with…
Ping Pong-Sized Hail, 70 MPH Winds Threaten North Jersey, Lehigh Valley
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, for parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center said.
Residents in Philadelphia, Trenton, Allentown, Reading, and across North and Central Jersey are impacted, the NWS said.
“Isolated thunderstorms have developed over portions of the region,” the National Weather Service said in a Tuesday afternoon update. “The primary threat will be for hail and damaging winds across eastern PA and northern/central NJ.”
Threats include:
Scattered hail up to ping-pong ball size
Wind gusts …
Pregnant Woman Ambushed, Attacked In Hatfield: Police
A pregnant woman was ambushed while stepping outside her Hatfield Township home, and police say they've arrested her attacker.
Raymond Bautista, of Allentown, is accused of launching the violent assault around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 24, along the 2000 block of Maple Avenue, the Hatfield Police Department announced on Monday, April 28.
Bautista has been charged with Felony Aggravated Assault of an Unborn Child, Felony Aggravated Assault, Misdemeanor Simple Assault, and Misdemeanor Recklessly Endangering Another Person, police said.
Authorities said the woman was attacked as she exited…
Millions In CT Breathing Unhealthy Air, New Study Warns: Here's Why
Nearly half of all people in the United States, including millions across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, are breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to a new study.
The American Lung Association released its 2025 edition of the "State of the Air" report on Wednesday, April 23. The study, now in its 26th year, highlights troubling air quality trends in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
The report found that 156 million people – about 46% of the U.S. population – are living in counties that earned failing grades f…
27-Year-Old PA Woman Dies After Scooter, Vehicle Collision In Allentown: Coroner
A 27-year-old woman from Wyomissing has died following a crash involving a motor scooter and a motor vehicle in Allentown, authorities said.
The incident happened around 6:08 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, in the 600 block of Union Boulevard, according to the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.
The victim, identified as Marie D. Colon Rodriguez, was operating a motor scooter when it collided with a vehicle, officials said.
“Ms. Colon Rodriguez was pronounced dead on Monday, April 21, 2025 at 11:09 AM at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Muhlenberg,” the coroner’s office said.
Her cause of death was listed…
Man Found Dead In Allentown Tent Identified As Horacio Miranda, 58: Coroner Seeks Next Of Kin
A man was found dead in a tent in Allentown, and authorities are searching for his next of kin, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office and Forensics Center announced in a previously released statement on Wednesday, March 27.
Horacio Miranda, 58, of Allentown, was pronounced dead at 4:56 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26 in the 500 block of American Parkway NE, officials said.
Miranda’s cause of death was determined to be mixed drug toxicity involving cocaine and fentanyl, and the manner of death was ruled accidental, according to the coroner’s office.
Anyone with information about Miranda’s family is …
Driver Killed After Car Falls From Overpass Onto I-78 In Upper Saucon: Coroner
A driver was killed after his car plunged from an overpass onto Interstate 78, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office announced on Friday, April 11, 2025.
Edwin Noel Diaz, 21, of Allentown, was operating a vehicle that veered off the roadway overpass and fell onto the interstate below, authorities said.
The crash happened around 8:20 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2025, in the eastbound lanes of I-78 at mile marker 60.5 in Upper Saucon Township, according to the coroner.
Diaz was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest where he was pronounced dead at 1:13 a.m., officials said.
His cause of …
Gunmen Accused Of Killing Ivan Diaz Jr. Outside Allentown Club Ordered To Face Trial
Two Allentown men accused in the deadly shooting outside a nightclub that killed Ivan Diaz Jr. will face trial, authorities announced on Thursday, April 10.
Pedro Junior Paulino, 35, and David Isaiah Rivera, 26, both had all charges held for court following their preliminary hearing before District Judge David M. Howells Jr., according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Both men are charged with Criminal Homicide, three counts of Attempted Murder, three counts of Aggravated Assault, and Recklessly Endangering Another Person. Rivera faces an additional charge of Firearms …
Dollar General Break-In: 6-Time Felon Took 2 Dozen Cigarette Boxes In Wallkill, Gets Jail Time
A 52-year-old man with a lengthy criminal history will spend years behind bars after breaking into an Orange County Dollar General and fleeing with stolen goods on a bicycle, prosecutors said.
Middletown resident John Redner, 52, was sentenced Monday, March 24, to 2.5 to 5 years in state prison after pleading guilty to third-degree burglary, Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced on Tuesday, March 25.
According to court documents and statements, the incident happened just after midnight on July 12, 2024, when a witness saw Redner breaking the window of a Dollar General s…
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…
