Sixth Suspect Arrested In Fountain Park Ambush Killing Of Angel Martinez-Velez: DA
A sixth suspect has been arrested in the broad-daylight ambush that left a 25-year-old man dead on a basketball court in Allentown, authorities announced on Monday, May 4, 2026.
Jose Batista-Gabin, 23, of the Bronx, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals over the weekend and is currently being held in a New York prison awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said.
He is charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, and tampering with evidence in connection with the June 1, 2024, killing of Angel Martinez-Velez at Fountain Park.
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Drunk Birthday Hit-And-Run Leaves Woman In Coma: Bethlehem Police
A drunk driving hit-and-run that left a young woman in a coma has ended in a guilty verdict, prosecutors announced on Tuesday, April 28.
Leroy Mendez, 37, of Bethlehem, was found guilty following a non-jury trial on charges including aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, accidents involving death or personal injury, insurance fraud, and DUI-related offenses, according to the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office.
The charges stem from a crash on the unit block of East 4th Street around 1:32 a.m. on July 19, when 24-year-old Erykah Ramos was standing next to a…
Bethlehem Man Convicted In 2020 Election Fraud Case; Woman Charged In NJ, PA Voting Case: DOJ
A Bethlehem man has been convicted of casting ballots in two states during the 2020 presidential election, while a separate election fraud case involving a Philadelphia woman remains pending, federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday, March 4.
Matthew Laiss, 32, was found guilty at trial of voting more than once in a federal election and voter fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Laiss had been registered to vote in Ottsville, Bucks County, from October 2012 until August 2020, prosecutors said. That month, he moved to Frostproof, Florida,…
Bethlehem Valedictorian, 37, Dies After Summit Fall Hiking In Washington State, Family Says
A Pennsylvania native died after falling during a strenuous hike in Washington State, his family and rescue officials confirmed.
Andrew (Andy) Robert Wong, 37, of Bethlehem, PA, summitted Dragontail Peak in Leavenworth, WA, before falling to his death on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, according to his obituary from Heintzelman Funeral Home, Inc. in Hellertown.
Wong had just completed a weeklong Alpinism 1 Program on Mount Baker through the American Alpine Institute before attempting the Enchantments Traverse, his family said. He was reported missing on Friday, Sept. 5, and his body was later disc…
Air Supply Hits The Road—All Out of Love And Back On Stage In 2025
Picture this: It’s 1975, two guys meet during "Jesus Christ Superstar" in Melbourne, and instead of just singing through a rehearsal, they create one of the world’s most famous soft-rock duos. Fast forward 50 years and Air Supply is still out there proving love songs never go out of style. Their 2025 50th Anniversary Tour is underway, and if you don’t snag tickets before they vanish, someone else will be swaying in your seat.
Here’s where to catch them before the chance slips away:
Oct. 28, 2025 – Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, PA
Oct. 19, 2025 – Palace Theatre, Stamford, CT
Oct. 25, …
A Bad Moon Rising? Only If You Miss Tickets To John Fogerty’s Legacy Tour
There’s a fortunate son of rock ’n’ roll hitting the road again. John Fogerty, 79, has announced "The Legacy Tour," and tickets for all stops are officially on sale. Lock in your seat now.
Fogerty will light up the East Coast this fall, with shows in Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Live (Oct. 31), Bethlehem’s Wind Creek Event Center (Nov. 8), MGM National Harbor in Maryland (Nov. 9), Newark’s NJPAC (Nov. 12), Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut (Nov. 13), and Boston’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway (Nov. 14).
As the voice and songwriter behind Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fogerty built a catalo…
MIT Gets No. 1 Spot In 2026 Rankings, Nine Other MA Colleges Make Top 100: See Which Ones
Universities across the Northeast dominated a new list of the best colleges in the US, with more than 30 institutions ranked among the nation's top 100.
Niche released its 2026 Best Colleges in America list on Monday, Aug. 25. The annual rankings cover more than 4,000 US colleges and universities, comparing them based on academics, value, student life, and athletics.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was ranked No. 1 overall. Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, followed in second place, while fellow Cambridge school Harvard University finished fo…
'Her Name Will Not Be Forgotten': Best Friend Remembers Jerkera Battle, 22, Killed In Allentown
The 22-year-old woman shot dead in her Allentown home this week is being remembered as a joyful, animal-loving young mom whose smile never failed to light up a room.
Jerkera B. Battle, a Bethlehem native and Liberty High School graduate, was found shot in the head on Tuesday, July 22, inside her home in the 700 block of W. Turner Street, as Daily Voice previously reported. Her ex-boyfriend, Adam Makowka, 27, has been charged with criminal homicide and is awaiting extradition to face charges in Lehigh County, authorities said.
Now, Battle’s best friend is speaking out.
'13 Years Of Non-Stop…
‘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…
Bethlehem Man, 33, Killed After Vehicle Jack Fails, Officials Say
A man from Bethlehem died Saturday afternoon, June 21, after a vehicle he was working under collapsed on top of him, according to officials.
Matthew D. Semsey, 33, was pronounced dead at 3:12 p.m. on Saturday in the emergency department at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem, the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said.
The incident happened around 2:00 p.m. in the 200 block of E. Garrison Street in Bethlehem, the coroner said.
“Reportedly, Mr. Semsey was working underneath his vehicle when the jack failed, causing the vehicle to fall on top of him,” coroner Daniel Buglio said.
An aut…
