A man has been arrested and charged with shooting and killing another man during a birthday party for a 1-year-old child in Allentown, Pennsylvania, earlier this year.
Roberto Gonzalez, 25, of Allentown, is charged with criminal homicide, possession of a firearm prohibited and recklessly endangering another person.
The incident occurred on Feb. 17, 2024, around 7:45 p.m. Investigators said several men wearing ski masks and hooded sweatshirts gathered outside the East Fire Social Hall on 405 E. Walnut Street in Allentown where a birthday party for a 1-year-old child was occurring. An argument then ensued between the men in ski masks and a group of people who were attending the party.
Miguel Dalmasi, 33, of Alburtis, Pennsylvania, was a relative of the 1-year-old and went outside to stop the argument when a fight broke out, investigators said. One of the men involved in the dispute then pulled out a gun and fired several shots, shooting Dalmasi, according to investigators.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Dalmasi later died from his injuries.
Both witnesses and surveillance video identified Gonzalez as the gunman, investigators said. Police searched through Gonzalez’s apartment and found clothing similar to what he was wearing on the night of the shooting as well as the same ammunition that was discovered at the crime scene, according to investigators.
Gonzalez was arraigned and sent to the Lehigh County Jail without bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 15, 2024. Online court records do not list the contact information for Gonzalez’s legal representation.