Crime News

Police: SouthSide Man Rammed Car with Kids Inside

Suspect accused of ramming car after girlfriend told him relationship was over, police say.

  A SouthSide man is accused of intentionally ramming his car into a parked vehicle occupied by an infant and a young child – one of them his son. The children apparently were not hurt, although court records do not say either way. In the Wednesday morning incident, the suspect, Randall Jones, 30, also is accused of dragging his girlfriend – the mother of the two children – by the hair down a street and striking a vehicle and sideswiping the woman’s vehicle as he sped through the neighborhood. Jones, of 625 Aaron St., faces nine charges, including aggravated assault and driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked, which is linked to a previous DUI charge, the records say. According to a criminal complaint filed by city police…

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Crime News

DUI Suspect Accused of Punching Cop

Bethlehem man accused of hitting city police officer trying to arrest him for driving drunk and fleeing the scene of an accident.

  A Bethlehem man is accused of punching a city police officer in the face Friday afternoon when that officer tried to arrest him for drunk driving after he allegedly caused an accident in the North Side Downtown, according to court papers. Craig D. Solomon, 46, of 1021 Spring St., who has six prior DUI convictions, was driving with a suspended license and an open can of malt liquor in the cup holder of his Chevy Blazer, according to the arrest affidavit. Bethlehem Police Officer Jonathan Desiderio suffered a cut lip, a bruise under his left eye and a bruised elbow as a result of the altercation, during which a bystander jumped in to help the officer. Desiderio was treated and released at St. Luke’s University Hospital. Solomon is facing …

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Crime News

Police: Shoplifting Teen Resisted Arrest

Teenager from Marvine-Pembroke accused of taking potato chips, candy and gum will also face resisting arrest charge because he struggled with police.

  A teen-ager from the Marvine-Pembroke section of the city who was about to be busted on a minor shoplifting charge allegedly compounded his legal troubles by struggling to escape arrest on Wednesday. English Pearson, 18, of 656 Ramblewood Lane, Bethlehem, is alleged to have shoplifted a bag of potato chips and two candy bars at the Friendly Food Mart, 1505 Pembroke Road, on Sunday afternoon, according to court records. On Wednesday, Pearson allegedly returned shortly after noon and took a pack of gum. But this time, store employee Shirish Patel stopped and detained Pearson before he could escape and called police to the scene, court papers say. Patel told responding Bethlehem Police Officer Nicholas Lechman that he had witnessed …

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Crime News

Allentown Man Accused of Punching City Cop

Suspect accused of resisting when officer tried to talk to him on SouthSide street. Search allegedly revealed handgun, cocaine in his car.

  An Allentown man was jailed Saturday after allegedly punching a Bethlehem police officer during a struggle. Melvin Turner, 34, of 602 Sixth St., is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment, resisting arrest, and various gun and drug offenses. According to court records, Officer Samuel Del Rosario was on patrol Saturday afternoon when he responded to a radio call for a man with a gun. He stopped Turner because Turner matched the suspect's description. A fight ensued after Turner allegedly tried to get away, and police say Turner punched Del Rosario during the struggle. After Turner was subdued and in custody, police found an illegal handgun and cocaine in his car. He was arraigned before District Judge Daniel Corpora in…

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Man and Woman Charged with Selling Cocaine

Suspects allegedly sold cocaine to confidential police informant.

  A Bethlehem woman and a Fountain Hill man have been charged after selling cocaine to a confidential police informant Wednesday night just east of the North Side downtown, according to court records. The man, James Mitchell, 44, of 921 Seneca St. also was charged with resisting arrest during the incident, which occurred around 9:40 p.m.   And he was charged in an earlier incident with selling an unspecified amount of cocaine to a confidential informant for an unspecified price. This incident allegedly occurred at 11:11 p.m. December 6 in the parking lot of the Wendy's at 306 Broadway. In Wednesday's incident, the records say that Mitchell and Sondra Brown, 51, of 911 Mechanic St., second floor, sold an unspecified amount of cocaine for an…

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Police Tasered Man Who Resisted Arrest

Scille is accused of trying to elude police who responded to alleged domestic assault.

  Bethlehem police tasered a SouthSide man who pushed an officer and attempted to flee during a call for a domestic dispute on Friday, according to court records and the police. Police discovered after arriving at the apartment of Marvin Scille that he was the subject of an outstanding warrant for a Lehigh County probation violation. Scille, of 111 E. Third St. Apt. 1B, turned 26 the day before – Thanksgiving Day. According to the records, Scille pushed Officer Luke Trevezo, resisted commands and attempts to have handcuffs placed on him and attempted to flee the hallway. He was stopped by another officer but “continued to actively resist and fight with police.” He was taken into custody “after a brief struggle.” A police media report said …

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