ALLENTOWN, Pa. | A 21-year-old Allentown man has pleaded guilty in connection with the fatal shooting of a 33-year-old woman last summer in the city.
Isaiah Lopez pleaded guilty Friday to third-degree murder for the shooting death of Lauren Gonzalez in the 400 block of North Church Street on July 12, 2019. Lehigh County Judge Douglas Reichley accepted Lopez’s plea, ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and scheduled his sentencing for Sept. 17.
Investigators said Gonzalez was shot during a fight among several people in the 400 block of North Church Street. The Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office had announced that Gonzalez confronted a group of people who were involved in the fight, and that a physical altercation ensued between Gonzalez and the then 20-year-old Lopez.
Lopez’s brother, 20-year-old Jasiah Lopez, was also involved the fight. As Justin Trinidad tried to intervene on Gonzalez’s behalf, authorities allege he was punched in the face and later shot by Jasiah Lopez as Trinidad fled to the 400 block of Church Street.
Trinidad was shot several times, and he reported seeing Gonzalez nearby with a chest wound. Witness interviews and videos that captured the shootings showed that Isaiah Lopez shot and killed Gonzalez, and that Jasiah Lopez allegedly shot Trinidad.
Authorities charged Jasiah Lopez with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and carrying a firearm without a license. His case is scheduled for a status conference on Sept. 3