Crime News

Cops: Greenwich St. Man Threw Dinner Plate at Wife

Bethlehem man allegedly threw dinner plate at wife, which hit the back of her head, and smacked her in the face, according to court records.

  A Bethlehem man is charged with throwing a porcelain dinner plate at his wife, hitting her in the back of the head, court records say. Nicholas Caramuche, 49, of 117 E. Greenwich St., is also accused of striking his wife in the face with his hand. A criminal complaint filed by Bethlehem Police Officer Nicholas Dipaolo said the alleged incident occurred at 7:30pm Tuesday. He talked to the suspect’s wife, Donna Caramuche, who said her husband threw the plate at her and that it struck the back of her head. She said he also struck her in the face with his hand. Dipaolo said he saw a small bump on the back of her head, an abrasion, and broken pieces of porcelain in her hair. Caramuche was charged with simple assault and harassment. He was …

• Photos (1)

Joe Brennan Will Continue to Get State Paycheck

Embattled state Rep. Joe Brennan, who ends his tenure today, will continue to collect Pennsylvania state salary and benefits as a research analyst for Democratic Party Caucus.

  Beleaguered state Rep. Joe Brennan finishes up his tenure as a legislator today amid pending charges that he assaulted his wife and drove away drunk on an August afternoon. But he’ll spend no time on the unemployment line. In fact, Capitolwire.com reported Thursday, Brennan will continue to collect a paycheck from the state of Pennsylvania as an employee of the House Democratic Caucus. Brennan will start a new job as a research analyst in the caucus’ Legislative Policy and Research Office on Monday. The salary is $72,000 a year – about $10,000 less than what he makes as a legislator – and he will continue to receive the same health benefits for which members and staff are eligible, Capitolwire reported. The job will be considered an …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Crime News

City Man Accused of Hitting Girlfriend, Her Son

SouthSide suspect allegedly assaulted girlfriend on multiple occasions, threw punches at her at Lehigh Pizza on Monday.

  A Bethlehem man was jailed Tuesday for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and her 10 year old son. City police charged Marcos Rodriguez, 32, of 423 Atlantic St., with simple assault and harassment. According to court papers, the girlfriend said she was assaulted by Rodriguez on multiple occasions. She said he punched her in the face several times on Saturday, and also hit in the eye with lighter. On Monday, while she as at Lehigh Pizza, 13 W. Third St., Rodriguez allegedly slapped the woman and threw a punch at her. That punch missed, and hit her son. Rodriguez was arraigned before on duty District Judge Richard Yetter in Wilson, and sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $15,000 bail.

• Photos (1)

Crime News

Police: Girlfriend Attacked with Butcher's Knife

Woodbine Street woman accused of lunging at her boyfriend with butcher's knife during argument on Sunday.

  Bethlehem police say a city woman attacked her boyfriend with a butcher's knife at their home Sunday. Yajaira Fernandez-Vasquez, 22, of 1322 Woodbine St., is charged with simple assault, harassment and reckless endangerment. According to court papers, police were called to Fernandez-Vasquez's address at 2:44 a.m. Sunday in response to complaints about arguing and crying children at the address. There, Fernandez-Vasquez's boyfriend told officers they had gotten into an argument that escalated to her shoving him and lunging at him with a butcher's knife. Fernandez-Vasquez was arraigned before on-duty District Judge Richard Yetter of Wilson and released on $7,500 unsecured bail.

• Photos (1)

Crime News

Police: Boyfriend Imprisoned Woman in Apartment

Victim was looking to break up, so boyfriend held her captive for hours. A secret text message got a friend to call the police.

  A Bethlehem man allegedly held his girlfriend against her will for several hours Monday night after he learned of her plans to leave him, according to court records. City police broke up the tense and violent scene and apprehended Miguel Cotto, 35, of 81 W. Garrison St., after getting multiple calls from a concerned friend of the victim, court papers say. According to Bethlehem police, the friend had received a text message from Liza Alvarado that said: “Call Police.” The friend, Amy Smith, told police that Cotto had been violent with Alvarado several times in the past, according to the affidavit. She also told police that Alvarado has told her that if she sends her “any message indicating that she was in trouble, that she could possibly…

• Photos (1)

Crime News

Police: City Man Spanked Crying 2-Year-Old

Spruce Street man arrested and charged with simple assault of girlfriend and 2-year-old daughter.

  A Bethlehem man is accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and throwing her to the floor when she tried to get him to stop spanking their 2-year-old daughter too hard and excessively on Saturday, according to court records. Joshua M. Bauder, 36, of 15 W. Spruce St., is facing two counts each of simple assault and harassment. According to the criminal complaint: Bauder was arraigned before on-duty District Justice David Tidd of Lower Saucon Township and committed to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $15,000 bail.

• Photos (1)

Rep. Joe Brennan Accused of Beating Wife, DUI

State legislator allegedly punched, choked his wife then drove off drunk on Wednesday afternoon.

Crime News

ER Doc's Call to Cops Leads to Wife Beating Charge

Wife tells police about long history of physical and mental abuse at husband's hands.

  A tip from an emergency room doctor led Bethlehem police to charge a city man with assaulting his wife and the wife telling police about “a long history of physical and mental abuse” by the husband. Court records say the wife also told police that after she and her husband got home from the hospital, he told her, “I should f----- kill you now.” She said the husband told her at the hospital, “If you make trouble for me, I will punch you square in the face.” Scott Charles Noone, 52, of 1965 Greenleaf St., is facing charges of terroristic threats and simple assault. Early on Friday, court records say, he threw a salt and pepper shaker at his wife “with such force” that it caused a contusion to her left breast. A criminal complaint filed by …

• Photos (1)

Crime News

Lehigh Officers Spot Domestic in Progress

During traffic stop in SouthSide, police spot a man knock his girlfriend to the ground. East Allentown man arrested.

  The man and woman had been arguing all night inside a bar and continued arguing while walking to their car around 2am Wednesday in the area of Brodhead Avenue and W. Morton Street in SouthSide. That’s when they got the attention of Lehigh University police officers, who were on a traffic stop, according to court records. One of the officers saw the woman fall to the ground and the man run from her south on Brodhead. The officers found the man – Aaron C. Rivera, 28, of East Allentown -- hiding behind a Dumpster in the surrounding area. Then they notified Bethlehem police. The woman, by this time standing with one of the Lehigh officers, said Rivera “beats her” and is going to “kill her when he gets home,” the records say. Later, she told …

• Photos (1)

Crime News

City Man Charged with Assaulting Girlfriend

"I did something stupid," suspect told police. Ex-wife tells victim "he used to beat on her too."

  A Bethlehem man who told police he “did something stupid … I punched her in the head” was later charged with assaulting his girlfriend, according to court records. And the girlfriend learned from the man’s ex-wife that he “used to beat on her too,” the records say. Nathan Robert Andres, 39, of 1511 Main St. came home after 11pm Friday and was drunk, the girlfriend told police. She was crying and he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her, then punched her in the head repeatedly as she begged him to stop, the records say. He then choked her, and she told police she couldn’t breathe. Andres then paced around the house, saying “he is always the bad guy.” He contacted his ex-wife to pick up his daughter, who lives with him and the girlfriend…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)