Sixth DUI In 13 Years Lands Allentown Woman 7 Years In Prison: Lancaster DA
An Allentown woman has been sentenced to up to seven years in state prison after pleading guilty to her sixth DUI, Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, Aug. 15.
Carla A. Bartell, 59, was sentenced to 16 months to seven years in prison for four counts of driving under the influence, two drug offenses, and two traffic violations, according to the DA. Her sentence, imposed by Judge Dennis Reinaker on Sunday, Aug. 4, will run consecutively to a separate 18-month sentence for a parole violation tied to a prior DUI in Lehigh County.
This marks Bartell’s third DUI in th…
$1M Cross-Country Title-Washing Ring Used Stolen Porsches, Audis, BMWs In PA: AG
A high-end title-washing ring based in central Pennsylvania profited more than $1 million by selling stolen luxury cars from Florida, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
The fraudulent operation was allegedly led by 44-year-old Anthony E. Troncoso, who, with a network of 12 others, used fake documents to “wash” vehicle titles, then sold over two dozen stolen cars to private buyers, dealers, and auction houses between 2022 and 2023, according to AG Sunday.
The vehicles—many of them Porsches, Audis, BMWs, Land Rovers, and other high-end brands—were stolen in Florida. …
Phillipsburg Man Arrested For Shooting In Pennsylvania: Prosecutor
A 20-year-old Phillipsburg man was arrested and charged with firing several shots at a residence, authorities announced Monday, Aug. 4.
On Sunday, Aug. 3, at 3:36 a.m., Phillipsburg police responded to the 400 block of Anderson Street after receiving a ShotSpotter alert and discovered a suspect, later identified as Andrew Weaver, fired several shots at a residence, one of which penetrated through a window, the Warren County Prosecutor's Office said.
No injuries were reported, authorities said.
Video footage identified the shooter as Weaver, authorities said. At 3 p.m., that same say, Penns…
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…