Bethlehem Police responded to multiple reports of shots fired near Johnston Drive and Linden Street around 9:17 a.m. after callers reported a man had fired at an occupied vehicle, according to the department.
Investigators said Jaime Alexander Paramo-Zamudio, 36, and his mother were traveling together in separate vehicles and stopped at a red light on Johnston Drive when a black sedan driven by a 42-year-old woman allegedly pulled between them.
Police said Paramo-Zamudio got out of his vehicle with a firearm in his hand as the woman attempted to drive away with her juvenile son still inside the sedan. After his mother honked her horn, Paramo-Zamudio allegedly fired a single shot into the vehicle’s windshield, investigators said.
The woman suffered minor injuries from shattered windshield glass and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, police said. Her child was not physically injured.
“The angle of the shot was directed at the passenger seat, we believe,” Bethlehem Police Capt. William Audelo told reporters. “If it had gone straight through, we’d be having a much sadder conversation right now.”
Police said officers recovered a shell casing and additional evidence at the scene. Investigators also obtained surveillance footage from a passing school bus and a nearby business, which Audelo said proved critical in identifying the suspect.
“The timing that had to take place in order for us to get the exact footage at the exact time, is almost like miraculous,” Audelo said.
Paramo-Zamudio was taken into custody without incident shortly after the shooting and transported to Bethlehem Police Headquarters, where he cooperated with investigators, authorities said.
The incident also prompted nearby daycare centers, including Lightbridge Academy and The Learning Experience, to temporarily lock down, according to reports.
“Road rage is something that we can all avoid,” Audelo said. “It does not need to happen. This could have been a situation where all of these involved parties continued with their day and a little bit of patience could have gone a long way.”
Following a review by the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office, Paramo-Zamudio was charged with:
Criminal Attempt – Criminal Homicide.Aggravated Assault.Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon.
Court records show he was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Vivian I. Zumas and committed to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $500,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27 at 11:30 a.m. before Judge Zumas.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Bethlehem Police at 610-865-7000.
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