Allentown police Saturday announced one arrest in an enforcement operation Friday night targeting street-level drug and violent criminal activity in the city.
Jasiah Lopez, 19, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and carrying a firearm without a license. The charges stem from an investigation into a July 12 shooting that left a woman dead and wounded a male victim, Allentown police spokesman Capt. Michael Becker.
Lauren Gonzalez, 33, of Allentown, was shot to death in the incident, which occurred about 7:30 that evening in the 400 block of North Church Street.
Authorities have not charged anyone with homicide in Gonzalez's death.
Citing court records, The Morning Call reports Lopez punched Gonzalez’s boyfriend, who was then shot and wounded as gunfire broke out and Gonzalez was mortally wounded. Lopez told police he was in the area of the 400 block of Church Street when a fight broke out, saw a man walking toward him and pulled a gun, firing several rounds before running off, according to the Call report.
Lopez is also charged with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct stemming from July 12 in Allentown.
He was arraigned Saturday morning and sent to Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $275,000. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send the charges to trial.
Lopez was picked up Friday night during the enforcement operation conducted by Allentown police, Pennsylvania State Police and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office and Probation and Parole Office, Becker said.
Lopez’s arrest comes days after Allentown police charged a 17-year-old male suspect in the shooting and wounding of a woman last Sunday night in the city.
Dozens of people have been shot in Allentown this summer, including 10 people wounded by three unidentified gunmen early June 20 outside Deja Vu nightclub in the 300 block of Hamilton Street.
Two of the people shot this summer died, including Gonzalez. Andre Leach, 27, of Paterson, New Jersey, was shot to death by police after being seen firing a gun into the air that he then pointed at police responding to the disturbance the morning of Aug. 1 in the area of North Fifth and West Allen streets.
Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.