The District Attorney’s Office has charged two individuals with armed burglary and officer-involved shooting on Christmas Eve at the Fountain Hill Pharmacy in Lehigh County.
Miguel Martinez, 56, of Allentown, and David Vazquez, 33, of Bethlehem, have each been charged.
According to the DA’s Office, both are charged with burglary, failure to possess, use, or control guns, recklessly endangering another person, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, prohibited offensive weapons, and possession of an instrument of crime.
According to District Attorney Gavin Holihan, both men are in custody and were arraigned on Wednesday.
They are currently being held in the Lehigh County Jail on $750,000 bail each, according to the DA’s Office.
According to the paperwork, their preliminary hearings will begin at 9:45 a.m. on December 31.
According to Fountain Hill Police Chief Ed Bachert, this inquiry is still underway, as is another investigation into the use of fatal force by a law enforcement officer.
According to Fountain Hill Police, whenever an officer uses potentially lethal force in the course of duty, a separate inquiry is conducted to evaluate whether the use of deadly force is warranted.
Fountain Hill Police report that around 9 p.m. on December 24, a burglar alarm was activated at the Fountain Hill Pharmacy, located at 1049 Broadway.
According to the announcement, two officers arrived at the scene, and dispatchers received an additional call from the alarm company saying that another alert had been received from within the pharmacy.
At approximately 9:30 p.m., a Fountain Hill Police Officer reported seeing two armed males inside the pharmacy.
According to the DA, one of the males brandished a pistol at a Fountain Hill officer, who opened fire but missed both defendants.
Vazquez allegedly fired numerous gunshots, but none of them hurt anyone.
However, two gunshots fired by Vazquez from inside the pharmacy are claimed to have entered a nearby occupied residence on the 1000 block of Broadway in Fountain Hill.
According to police, the incident escalated into a standoff after the two guys refused to leave the pharmacy.
Police encouraged residents to stay inside their houses during the standoff, and both males eventually surrendered to law enforcement agents with no further firearms fired, according to the DA Office report.
Police said an investigation found that they smashed into the pharmacy, spray-painted surveillance cameras inside, and stole medications.
According to authorities, during a subsequent investigation of the drugstore, a firearm used by the accused during the burglary was allegedly discovered.
Police said five discharged cartridge cartridges were found inside the pharmacy.
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