She declined to give her name due to privacy concerns. According to the criminal complaint, Pickell's wife told the police that her husband had gotten into an argument with Leone and when Pickell turned to leave, Leone fatally shot him in the back. The man attempted to get into a home on. Bethlehem Township police called the incident a shooting, and said one person was shot. BETHLEHEM, PA - Four suspects were charged with robbery and home invasion in Bethlehem Township early Thursday morning, according to District Attorney Terry Houck. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. According to the affidavit of probable cause for charging Leone, police dispatched for a male victim shot with a shotgun at Leones home discovered the victim lying in a pool of blood in the driveway. In the 911 call after the shooting, Leone repeatedly made the same claim that Pickell was a member of the biker gang. man will claim self-defense in deadly shooting, 'Can't wait to see everyone': After 3-year hiatus, beloved Easton deli nears reopening, How do you know your money is safe? Bethlehem Township police charged Joshua A. Leone with a single count of homicide in connection with the fatal shooting of Kenneth Pickell in the 3100 block of Clifton Avenue Tuesday. He also said her testimony had changed; at Leones preliminary hearing in April 2021, she said she hadnt entered the garage, but testified on Friday that she had. One man was killed and another taken into custody in what police called a neighbor dispute. Police were called to the scene of the dispute just after 2:30 p.m. and found one person dead. Colonial Regional police are investigating a shooting Sunday afternoon that left one person dead at a strip mall in Lower Nazareth Township. He died at the scene a short time later. Mostly cloudy with some occasional showers moving through. Motive in Bethlehem Township deadly shooting a mystery to victim's mother, neighbors - lehighvalleylive.com Kenneth Pickell, 31, of Bethlehem Township, was shot Tuesday afternoon. Police said a suspect was taken into custody without incident. The resident said the victim has not lived in the neighborhood for very long. The shooting occurred shortly after 2:30 p.m. in the 3100 block of Clifton Avenue, a news release states. He was a loving son and a loving father, Pickell said, her voice breaking with emotion. [Leone] was always working out in his garage, Rolands said. According to the criminal complaint, Pickell's wife told the police that her husband. Neighbors said they didnt really know the Pickells, but described Leone, his wife and their two young children as nice people. She saw things getting out of hand and walked over to plead with her husband to walk away. LOWER TOWAMENSING TWP., Pa. -- A rural road in Carbon County was shut down following a shooting. No other information is being released at this time. The affidavit has been sealed to protect the integrity of the investigation. Leone was farther from Pickell than Goldman claimed and shot him in the back, Augustine said, dismissing the claim Pickell was in the process of throwing the ax. I got to know my client really well in the past few years, and I was convinced of his innocence.. Once Leone was in custody, the shelter-in-place order was lifted and the schools taken out of lockdown. 1:10. 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The woman told police Josh, later identified as Leone, shot her husband. Bethlehem Township officers were dispatched to assist a woman who appeared motionless outside a home on Dennis Street, but were met by a flurry of gunshots that led to a standoff and shelter in . 1 dead, 1 hurt after apparent neighbor dispute in Moore Twp. You have permission to edit this article. Pickell fell to the ground and began to bleed, having suffered a significant gunshot wound to the left upper back area, the police investigator wrote in court papers. The day before the shooting, he allegedly had been taunting Pickells girlfriend with a laser pointer. Daniel Patrick Sheehan is a reporter covering crime and courts in the Lehigh Valley. On Friday,. Police investigate the scene of a fatal shooting shortly after 2:30 p.m. in the 3100 block of Clifton Avenue in Bethlehem Township. Clifton Avenue, located off Santee Road, was closed, between Millstone Drive and Lowell Place, to allow emergency vehicle access only. It is such a tragedy for any area, but here, people are in shock, said a female resident in the 3000 block of Clifton Avenue. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. A resident told 69 News gunshots were. Police then came to believe 27-year-old Anthony Joel Espinal, of the 200 block of East Third Street in Bethlehem, was staying there. Pickells wife told police she and her husband went outside to walk the dog and noticed Leone breaking up furniture in front of his house. At a court hearing Friday, Leone's attorney, Robert Goldman, said he will prove that Leone had retreated into his garage as Pickell followed him and eventually, Goldman says, forced him to grab his weapons. Were just in a state of shock because Josh is the nicest person, the kindest person, she said. 2023 The Washington Broadcasting Co. All Rights Reserved. She said she saw Leone in his garage, holding a shotgun and revolver and inviting Pickell to come inside. This is usually a quiet neighborhood. After about eight hours of deliberation that. I felt like we had some good arguments and good evidence for a first-degree murder conviction. Prosecutors said he was not. The events leading to the Feb. 23, 2021 slaying were partially captured by the security camera on Leones home. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann | For lehighvalleylive.com, incident at a Bethlehem Township hotel room. Why First Republic failed. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. A woman who lived on nearby Lowell Place said her husband grew up with Leone when the pair attended grammar school together in Whitehall Township. Theres one way in and one way out of Clifton Avenue, a man noted to lehighvalleylive.com, saying residents immediately can spot something out of the ordinary. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Gets a little rowdy on Fourth of July, but otherwise quiet., This is a neighborhood where something like this doesnt happen, she said. Officers were called to the Lower Nazareth Commons off Route 248 . Some said they planned to introduce themselves to the Pickells once spring came. Many residents said they knew Leone, a father of two with a third on the way, but not Kenneth Pickell due to him having recently moved into the neighborhood, coupled with the colder months and the coronavirus pandemic keeping most indoors. A male victim is dead after a reported shooting Tuesday afternoon in a Bethlehem Township neighborhood, authorities say. : Local economists weigh in after 3rd bank failure in last 2 months, Baby alligator temporarily staying in the Poconos after being found at sewage plant in Allentown, LVHN offering 2nd dose of bivalent COVID-19 booster shot for people 65 and older, immunocompromised people, Work to replace busy bridge connecting Lehigh, Northampton counties is underway; there's some good news for commuters, Allentown Service Plaza to close at night during the week as crews do paving work, High Delaware River water levels lead to additional safety requirements at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area this week, Gov. All four defendants are facing charges of 3 counts of Robbery Attempt Serious Bodily Injury, 2 counts of Possession of Instrument of a Crime, Burglary, Simple Assault, and related charges. He was flown from the scene by medical helicopter. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. man will claim self-defense in deadly shooting, Stormcenter - School / Business Application. He was then shot by the resident one time in the torso. Ferrando suffered a single gunshot wound to the leg. The Northampton County coroner has been called to a shooting in Bethlehem Township, and one person is in custody, dispatchers and police said. During the home invasion, which occurred at approximately 4 a.m. in the 2000 block of Willow Park Road, four men broke into the residence where three occupants were present. Bethlehem Township police charged a 35-year-old resident with homicide in the fatal shooting of his neighbor Tuesday afternoon, according to court records. Santiago remained at large, though police said they dont believe there is any danger to the public. Pickell, appearing agitated, abruptly stripped to the waist, apparently to show off abdominal scars from a stabbing. The day after a shooting left 31-year-old Kenneth Pickell dead in his neighbors driveway, the victims mother said what led to the suspected gunman opening fire on her son remains a mystery. Are other banks to follow? Despite sunshine with unseasonably warm temperatures on Wednesday, the neighborhood was quiet. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. This was attention-seeking behavior., Morning Call reporter Dan Sheehan can be reached at 610-820-6598 or dsheehan@mcall.com. Leone came out of his home with his hands in the air and was arrested without incident, police said. The Northampton County coroner has been called to a shooting in Bethlehem Township, and one person is in custody, dispatchers and police said. The suspects were identified as Millito Delgado, 45; Michael Matas, 29; Francis Ferrando, 23; and Anthony Santiago, 29. BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. The attorney for a Northampton County man accused of shooting and killing a neighbor during a dispute claims the killing is "a classic case of self defense.". Augustine said the behavior was deliberate, with Leone waiting until his wife and two children left the house before beginning his work in the driveway. There was a problem saving your notification. On Monday, March 27, District Attorney Terry Houck announced criminal homicide charges against 76-year-old William Arthur Strunk in relation to a July 2022 shooting that left one victim dead. When Bethlehem Township police were called to the neighborhood Tuesday, they found a woman kneeling next to Pickell, who was lying in a pool of blood in Leone's driveway, court papers say. As investigators look for answers, so do the people who live in the community. A 29-year-old homeless woman is facing her own set of charges following an incident at a Bethlehem Township hotel room, in which her boyfriend allegedly possessed drugs and a handgun involved in a Luzerne County shooting, authorities said. One red tarp and two yellow tarps hung in the front yard of the home. Pickell was 31, Houck said Tuesday night. After about eight hours of deliberation that began Monday afternoon, the jury found Joshua Leone, 36, not guilty in the Feb. 23, 2021 death of Kenneth Pickell, 31. She also witnessed that Joshua Leone was now holding a shotgun and a revolver in his hands and that Pickell began to turn around and that is when she saw Joshua Leone shoot her husband in the back, police said. According to a news release, Millito Delgado, 45, Michael Matas, 29, Francis Ferrando, 23, and Anthony Santiago, 29, entered the house on the 2000 block of Willow Park Road around 4 a.m. Thursday. Delgado, Matas, and Ferrando. Police said a suspect was taken into custody without incident. There was an error processing your request. Officials said the affidavit spelling out the circumstances of the case will remain sealed to protect the investigation. Everybody here knows everybody, she said. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Hes not a violent person, hes not an angry person. Washington, PA 15301. He was a very good neighbor, a great father. One person was killed and another injured in a shooting at a busy shopping center in Lower Nazareth Township, Northampton County. But authorities said the pair had some sort of dispute before the shooting. Delgado, Matas, and Ferrando. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. All rights reserved (About Us). Leone was arraigned Tuesday night before District Judge Jacqueline Taschner on a single count of criminal homicide, and was sent to Northampton County Prison without the possibility of bail, police said. Three hours before being wounded in an officer-involved shooting on Route 17 in Vestal, police say the suspect was in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he opened fire at a gas station. A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 9 before District Judge Patricia Broscius to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send the case toward trial in Northampton County Court. Adam Zaborowski, 35, faces attempted homicide charges in both Friday's incident outside Cigars International in Northampton County's Bethlehem Township and Saturday's confrontation with police. She told Gomez to hurry up and get the children inside. Joshua Anthony Leone, of the 3100. Mostly cloudy with some occasional showers moving through. Bethlehem Twp. Hes being held without bail in Northampton County Jail. Neighbors said the shooting brought a sense of uncertainty to what is normally a safe area. It will also be breezy and cool. Three people were in the house, one of whom opened fire and hit Matas and Ferrando. Leone moved into the garage, out of sight of the camera, followed by Pickell and his girlfriend, who soon emerged. The men are each charged with three counts of robbery with attempted serious bodily injury, two counts of possessing an instrument of crime, burglary, simple assault and related charges. 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In an act of self-defense, one of the occupants shot defendants Matas and Ferrando. Police investigate the scene of a fatal shooting shortly after 2:30 p.m. in the 3100 block of Clifton Avenue in Bethlehem Township. Success! Leanne Pickell said she just bought the home in the 3100 block of Clifton Avenue this past November. Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek ruled the death a homicide at a. Joshua Leone of Bethlehem Township was charged with homicide in the death of Kenneth Pickell in February. When Bethlehem Township police were called to the neighborhood Tuesday, they found a woman kneeling next to Pickell, who was lying in a pool of blood in Leones driveway, court papers say. App of the Day: Poolsuite FM, What the Tech? BETHLEHEM TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Police say a man who fired shots at an employee after refusing to wear a mask inside a Lehigh Valley cigar shop has been apprehended following a shootout.. Pickell said her son, a Phillipsburg High School alum who played varsity football for the Liners, left behind a 5-year-old son whom he adored. Man killed in apparent neighbor dispute in Bethlehem Township, DA says.
