Pa.'s Most Wanted Caught, Mayor Ejected from Wrestling Tournament Top Bethlehem News

One of Pa.'s Most Wanted Caught After 18 Years on Run

After nearly two decades on the run, Francisco Miranda was taken into custody in connection with the death of Jorge Valazquez, who was stabbed in the heart in a parking lot in Bethlehem in 1994, according to Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli. Miranda was the chief suspect in the death, but had vanished, spending 18 years on Pennsylvania's Most Wanted list. Police said he had been living in the Dominican Republic.

Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan was ejected from the District 11 Class AAA wrestling tournament last Saturday after a disputed call against a Freedom High School wrestler. The story was picked up by news outlets across the country. By Monday, Callahan had issued an apology for yelling at an official during the tournament, saying, “I should have handled this incident better.”

Stripper's Death from Booze, Heroin Accidental, Coroner Says

An Allentown stripper who was found dead in a Bethlehem Township home in December died from the combined effects of heroin and alcohol intoxication, Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said Wednesday. Lysek ruled the death of 26-year-old Amy Soule accidental. Law enforcement authorities had initially labeled the death suspicious.

Craigslist Con Cost Home Seekers Thousands: Police

An Allentown man was charged last week with using Craigslist ads to scam Bethlehem apartment hunters out of thousands of dollars, providing fake leases for units he did not control, according to court papers. Gamaliel Rosado, 29, of 1430 Lehigh St., allegedly practiced the alleged scam between Nov. 2 and Jan. 16, bilking hundreds of dollars each out of five victims who were seeking rental units in South Bethlehem.

A woman infected with hepatitis C has been charged with aggravated assault for allegedly ripping two intravenous lines out of her arm and throwing them at an emergency room nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital, Anderson Campus. Judy Esther Shadder, 59, of 940 Berger Road in Williams Township, was arrested Tuesday by Bethlehem Township police for the alleged Feb. 14 attack.

2 Hurt in Police Car Crash in Bethlehem

A Bethlehem police cruiser and another car collided at the intersection of E. Market and High streets sometime around 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to published reports. The police officer suffered cuts to the head and was taken to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill for treatment, Police Chief Jason Schiffer. A 78-year-old woman was also taken to the hospital, but it was unclear how severe her injuries were. The accident is under investigation.

New Nitschmann School Project Approved by Board

The Bethlehem Area School Board voted unanimously, 9-0, Monday night to authorize the design phase for a new Nitschmann Middle School in West Bethlehem. The board opted for new construction at a cost of $53.7 million rather than pursue a third set of renovations for the existing 90-year-old building.