Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Allentown Police Chief Charles Roca announced Wednesday afternoon three defendants have been charged with homicide in connection to a deadly shooting on North 9th Street Monday evening.
The defendants are biological brothers who are all charged in connection with the killing that occurred around 5:12p.m. in the 700 block of North Ninth Street (Between Tilghman and Washington) in Allentown.
Amiliano Escobar-Adorno, 25, of Allentown, is charged with felony counts of Criminal Homicide, Aggravated Assault – Attempts to Cause Serious Bodily Injury or Causes Injury with Extreme Indifference, Aggravated Assault – Attemps to Cause or Causes Bodily Injury with a Deadly Weapon and Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault.
Escobar-Adorno is in custody, and is being held in Lehigh County Jail without bail.
Also charged is Julian Nathaniel Espada, 28, of Allentown, with felony counts of Aggravated Assault – Attempts to Cause Serious Bodily Injury with Extreme Indifference and Aggravated Assault causing injury with a deadly weapon. He is also charged with felony Conspiracy to commit Aggravated Assault.
Also Charged is Julius Jose Cortijo, 29, of Allentown, with felony counts of Aggravated Assault – Attempts to Cause Serious Bodily Injury with Extreme Indifferences and Aggravated Assault causing injury with a deadly weapon. He is also charged with felony Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault.
Espada and Cortijo are both in Lehigh County Jail. Espada’s bail is $5000,000 cash and Cortijo’s bail is $250,000 cash. Both are scheduled for preliminary hearings at 1:15p.m. on Nov. 10, 2026.
On the evening of November 2, 2026, Allentown Police received numerous 911 calls about the shooting that occurred in the middle of North Ninth Street near Tilghman Street.
Officers arrived and found the victim, Identified as 29-year-old Jose Rivera, suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Rivera later died from his injuries.
Rivera died from a gunshot wound to the torso and his death ruled a homicide by Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio.
According to DA Holihan, a woman was driving southbound on Ninth Street around 5p.m. and spotted her front bumper that was stolen two days earlier on a car parked on Ninth Street.
She called Espada and told him she found her front bumper. He later arrived on scene and took the part off the car. As he was removing the bumper, Rivera came out of his residence and approached Espada and the lady.
Rivera claimed the part was his and took the bumper out of the hands of Espada. Espada’s two brothers arrived and Espada and Cortijo started fighting with Rivera.
Escobar-Adorno pulled out a gun and shot Rivera during the fight. All three defendants fled the scene. All three were rounded up shortly after.
