— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley Newsbriefs
**Age of first suspect named corrected**
Two men are in prison after an attempted burglary at Fountain Hill Pharmacy on Tuesday night.
Shots were fired. Nobody was hurt. Police responded after a burglary alarm went off.
Miguel Martinez, 56, of Allentown and David Vazquez, 33, of Bethlehem are in custody and face multiple charges. The police use of potentially deadly force is also under review.
The incident happened on Christmas Eve. The hearing will be on New Year’s Eve. Not a happy holiday for some.
Here are the facts from Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan:
Dec. 25, 2024
District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Fountain Hill Police Chief Ed Bachert announce two men have been charged in an armed burglary and officer-involved shooting that occurred Christmas Eve at the Fountain Hill Pharmacy in Lehigh County.
Miguel Martinez, DOB 10/3/1968, of Allentown and David Vazquez, DOB 12/2/1991, of Bethlehem, are both charged with Burglary, a felony of the first degree; Person Not to Possess, Use or Control Firearms, a felony of the second degree; Recklessly Endangering Another Person, a misdemeanor of the second degree; and misdemeanor counts of Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition, Prohibited Offensive Weapon, and Possessing an Instrument of Crime.
Both men are in custody and were arraigned today by District Judge Jacob Hammond and are in Lehigh County Jail under $750,000 bail each. Their preliminary hearings will be at 9:45 a.m. Dec. 31, 2024.
This investigation remains ongoing as well as a separate investigation regarding the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer. Each time an officer uses potentially deadly force in the line of duty, a separate investigation is conducted to determine whether that use of deadly force was justified.
At 9:08 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2024, Fountain Hill Police received a burglar alarm activation at the Fountain Hill Pharmacy, 1049 Broadway. Two officers arrived at the location and Lehigh County911 received an additional call from the alarm company indicating that a further alarm was received from within the pharmacy.
At 9:37 p.m., a Fountain Hill police officer notified the 911 center that he saw two armed men inside the pharmacy. One of the men pointed a firearm at a Fountain Hill officer who opened fire, but did not hit either defendant. Several gunshots were fired by Vazquez but no one was injured by any of the gunfire. However, two gunshots fired by Vazquez from inside the pharmacy appear to have entered the nearby occupied home located at 1046 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
The incident turned into a standoff when the two men refused commands to come out of the pharmacy. Residents were warned to stay in their homes during the standoff and both men eventually surrendered to law enforcement officers with no further shots being fired.
An investigation revealed they broke into the pharmacy, spray painted surveillance cameras while inside and stole medications. During a subsequent search of the pharmacy a 9mm handgun, used by the defendants during the burglary, was found. Additionally, five discharged 9mm cartridge casings were recovered from inside the pharmacy.
This case was investigated by Fountain Hill Police Detective Raymond Anthony and Lehigh County Homicide Task Force Detectives Moses Miller and James Bruchak and assisted by Allentown Police Department, South Whitehall Police Department, City of Bethlehem Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Services Unit, Coopersburg Police Department, the Lehigh County Emergency Response Team, the Lehigh County District Attorney Homicide Task Force and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.
As in every criminal case, the fact that arrests have occurred or complaints have been filed aremerely accusations; and the defendants, David Vazquez and Miguel Martinez, are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 