Crime News

Vandals Spray Paint Houses, Cars in Spring Garden, Police Say

'Vulgarities' spray painted on 12 cars and three storm doors in the Spring Garden Townhouse complex, police say.

  Twelve vehicles and three front storm doors in the Spring Garden Townhouse complex were vandalized with spray paint late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, Bethlehem police said. Three storm doors on the 2400 block of Blake Court had “vulgarities” spray-painted on them in black, police said. Twelve vehicles parked along Blake Court and North Court were also vandalized with black or red spray paint with various “vulgarities” and “unintelligible” words, according to police. Also, a stop sign and a one-way sign were spray-painted over in black, police said. There are no suspects, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Bethlehem Police Department at 610-865-7187.

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Crime News

Suspect Slams Head on Police Station Wall

In Bethlehem Police headquarters, homeless man gets angry at arraignment for charge he stole $100 on Christmas Day, court records say.

  Angry about his arrest and arraignment on charges stemming from an alleged Christmas Day theft, a homeless man took his frustrations out by twice slamming his head into a wall at Bethlehem Police headquarters on Wednesday night, according to court papers. Nicholas Davila, 25, was charged with institutional vandalism for the damage he allegedly caused to the wall and other property at City Hall. The warrant did not mention whether there was damage to Davila’s head. Davila was brought in on allegations that he had stolen $100 from a woman who had agreed to drive him from South Bethlehem to West Bethlehem on Christmas evening. According to the affidavit of probable cause: Davila was charged with theft and receiving stolen property and …

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Crime News

Disorderly SouthSider Stops Fahy Bridge Traffic

Rafael Nunez threw a rock through plate glass window of hookah lounge, then disobeyed orders to stop and marched out onto bridge, police say.

  A South Bethlehem man accused of throwing a rock through a plate glass window at an E. Third Street hookah lounge briefly stopped traffic onto the Fahy Bridge Wednesday as police tried to arrest him, according to court papers. The suspect, Rafael Antonio Nunez, 30, continued walking west on E. Third Street – with both his arms and middle fingers extended – when a police officer that witnessed the vandalism ordered him to stop, the arrest affidavit says. Instead, Nunez turned north onto the Fahy Bridge and walked into traffic, forcing the Bethlehem Police Department to briefly shut the bridge down, court papers say. Ultimately, according to The Express Times, police needed to use a stun gun to subdue him. Before the incident escalated, …

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Police Clear Andretti of Damaging Gate

Video surveillance from parking garage confirms Andretti's version of events, police said.

  Bethlehem police have cleared IndyCar driver Marco Andretti of any wrongdoing after reviewing video footage of vandalism that broke the exit gate at the North Street Parking Garage. As Andretti had explained to The Express Times, a man in the car behind his got out and broke the gate Thursday night as he attempted to get the automated payment system to work and lift the gate arm, according to a police news release. Also, according to police, a man telephoned the Bethlehem Parking Authority Friday morning and claimed responsibility and offered to pay for the damage. “Based on the investigation, the City of Bethlehem Police Department will not take any action against Mr. Andretti,” the police news release said. Andretti, of Bushkill …

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Andretti, City Cops Differ on Who Broke Gate

Marco Andretti, grandson of legendary Mario Andretti, accused of breaking parking deck exit gate.

  Bethlehem police say that IndyCar race driver Marco Andretti and two other men pushed open and broke the exit arm of the North Street parking garage on Tuesday night. But Andretti, grandson of the legendary Mario Andretti and a third-generation race car driver, told The Express-Times today that he never touched the gate, though he did have trouble paying the parking fee. He said it was the man in the car behind him who pushed the gate open after he became impatient when Andretti couldn’t get the automated payment system to work and lift the gate. “He was laying on his horn,” Andretti was quoted as saying in the story. Andretti, who lives in Bushkill Township, told the newspaper that he tried four different credit cards and cash, but that…

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Man Punches Slot Machine at Sands Casino

Police say punch caused $1,610 in damage to the casino slot machine.

Vandals Cause $15,000 Damage at Vacant Auto Dealer

14 panes of glass broken at old Bennett Toyota dealership on W. Broad Street.

  More than $15,000 in damage was done to a vacant auto dealership in West Bethlehem near the Allentown border, according to city police. Fourteen panes of glass were smashed or shot out at the old Bennett Toyota dealership at 2211 W. Broad St., police said. A $50 computer CPU was also stolen, police said. The vandalism and theft were reported to city police shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday. There are no suspects, police said.

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Police: Suspect Set off Sprinklers in Holding Cell

Kenneth Moschetto was charged with felony vandalism and crimimal mischief.

A Freemansburg man in a city holding cell after being picked up for public drunkenness allegedly vandalized a sprinkler head and set off the sprinkler system in City Hall late Monday night, police said. As a result, Kenneth Moschetto was arraigned on felony counts of institutional vandalism and criminal mischief before he was committed to Northampton County Prison, Bethlehem police said. Moschetto, 48, of 102 N. Oak St., Freemansburg, who was picked up for alleged drunken behavior on the 100 block of W. Union Boulevard was also charged public drunkenness, three separate disorderly conduct counts and “injuring or tampering with fire apparatus.” The incidents unfolded shortly before midnight on Monday. His bail was set at $5,000 by District …

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Police: Two Dozen Cars' Tires Slashed

Vandalism hits residents on Highland Ave., Eaton Ave. Ralston Rd., Rudolph Dr. and Primrose Lane.

About 25 people had their car tires slashed early Monday morning in a West Bethlehem neighborhood, city police said this morning. The vandal struck cars along Highland Avenue, Eaton Avenue, Ralston Road, Rudolph Drive and Primrose Lane, police said. Police are investigating the incidents. Anyone with information is asked to call the Bethlehem Police Department.

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Drunk, Disorderly and Other Weekend Infractions in Bethlehem

Bethlehem police responded to dozens of incidents and crimes over the holiday weekend

Bethlehem Police responded to dozens of calls including underage drinking, public urination, vandalism, thefts and more during Labor Day weekend, according to this Express-Times police blotter. On Saturday night, a man said youngsters threw walnuts at his vehicle. Other crimes included harassment and assault.

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