Police were called to 1049 Broadway in Fountain Hill following an incident that took place around 8:40 PM on December 24. At some point during the incident, shots were fired, hitting a house. Two individuals later surrendered to the police and were taken into custody. Miguel Martinez, age 56, of Allentown, and David Vazquez, age 33, of Bethlehem, have been charged with multiple offenses, according to the District Attorney’s Office. The charges include burglary, possession of firearms by a person not permitted to do so, recklessly endangering another person, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, possession of a prohibited offensive weapon, and possession of an instrument of crime.
District Attorney Gavin Holihan stated that both men are in custody following their arraignment on Wednesday. They are currently being held at the Lehigh County Jail, each with a bail set at $750,000. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for 9:45 a.m. on December 31.
Fountain Hill Police Chief Ed Bachert noted that the investigation is ongoing, along with a separate investigation into the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer. According to the police, each time an officer uses potentially deadly force in the line of duty, a separate investigation is conducted to determine whether the use of force was justified.
On December 24, around 9 p.m., Fountain Hill Police received an alarm activation from the Fountain Hill Pharmacy, located at 1049 Broadway. Officers arrived at the scene, and dispatchers received an additional call from the alarm company indicating that another alarm had been triggered inside the pharmacy.
Around 9:30 p.m., a Fountain Hill Police officer reported seeing two armed men inside the pharmacy. According to the District Attorney, one of the men pointed a firearm at the officer, who then opened fire but did not hit either defendant. Vazquez allegedly fired several shots, but fortunately, no one was injured by the gunfire. However, two shots fired by Vazquez from inside the pharmacy reportedly struck a nearby occupied home on the 1000 block of Broadway in Fountain Hill.
The incident escalated into a standoff as the two men refused orders to exit the pharmacy. Police warned residents to remain indoors during the standoff, which ended without further gunfire when both men eventually surrendered to law enforcement.
