Two arrested for armed robbery

Two Lehigh County residents were arrested on Friday and charged in connection with an armed robbery that occurred that day.

Upper Macungie Township police said Joseph Valenzuela-Cortes, 36, of Breinigsville and Kristina Falcone, 32, of Whitehall have been charged with robbery, theft, simple assault and related counts.

According to police a 24-year-old woman from Breinigsville reported at 12:53 a.m. that she had accepted a ride from a man and woman she was acquainted with after she finished work at a Trexlertown business.

Once in the vehicle, the man pointed a handgun at her and demanded she hand over her purse. When the woman refused, he fired the weapon out of a window of the vehicle. The suspects physically assaulted the victim and pushed her out of the vehicle.

Based on information provided by the victim, police arrested Valenzuela-Cortes and Falcone later in the day.