2008 Woodie Awards
RSSMan charged in summer shooting
By Liz Wysocki
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: News
Bethlehem police charged a man with attempted homicide for firing a gun at a Lehigh student on Birkel Avenue this summer.
A criminal complaint was filed against Alberto R. Melendez Jr. for firing a handgun at Michael Ritter, '08, on 486 Birkel Ave. on July 29. Melendez was arraigned Thursday in District Court by District Justice Nancy Matos-Gonzalez. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5.
According to an article published in The Brown and White on Sept. 4, Ritter said at about 12:20 a.m. on July 29 he was sitting on his porch on Birkel Avenue when he heard three men down the street making noise.
He told the men to be quiet because police were in the area.
Then, according to Ritter, one man jumped on his porch, put a gun to his head, shot it and ran away.
The bullet grazed the back of his head, Ritter said.
Ritter was not available for comment on the recent charges.
According to the affidavit, Melendez said on July 29 he did go up on the porch and argued with a man who was being very aggressive.
Melendez said he pulled out a handgun from his waist area and 'racked' the slide back. He said he went to hit the male in the side of the head with the gun and the gun went off.
Melendez said he didn't think there was a round in the chamber, and he never had his finger on the trigger. He said he never intended to shoot Ritter.
Melendez said when he hit Ritter and the gun went off, Ritter fell down and Melendez ran.
The affidavit said Melendez threw the gun on a roof of a house on Carlton Avenue. Melendez said he had the gun for less than a week prior to the events on Birkel Avenue. He said the gun was an automatic 9 mm pistol.
According to the notice of preliminary hearing, Melendez is charged with attempted homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possession of firearms prohibited and not to be carried without a license.
Melendez is currently in Northampton County Prison for previous theft charges and failure to appear in court.
He has been sent back to prison under $250,000 bail.
A criminal complaint was filed against Alberto R. Melendez Jr. for firing a handgun at Michael Ritter, '08, on 486 Birkel Ave. on July 29. Melendez was arraigned Thursday in District Court by District Justice Nancy Matos-Gonzalez. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5.
According to an article published in The Brown and White on Sept. 4, Ritter said at about 12:20 a.m. on July 29 he was sitting on his porch on Birkel Avenue when he heard three men down the street making noise.
He told the men to be quiet because police were in the area.
Then, according to Ritter, one man jumped on his porch, put a gun to his head, shot it and ran away.
The bullet grazed the back of his head, Ritter said.
Ritter was not available for comment on the recent charges.
According to the affidavit, Melendez said on July 29 he did go up on the porch and argued with a man who was being very aggressive.
Melendez said he pulled out a handgun from his waist area and 'racked' the slide back. He said he went to hit the male in the side of the head with the gun and the gun went off.
Melendez said he didn't think there was a round in the chamber, and he never had his finger on the trigger. He said he never intended to shoot Ritter.
Melendez said when he hit Ritter and the gun went off, Ritter fell down and Melendez ran.
The affidavit said Melendez threw the gun on a roof of a house on Carlton Avenue. Melendez said he had the gun for less than a week prior to the events on Birkel Avenue. He said the gun was an automatic 9 mm pistol.
According to the notice of preliminary hearing, Melendez is charged with attempted homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possession of firearms prohibited and not to be carried without a license.
Melendez is currently in Northampton County Prison for previous theft charges and failure to appear in court.
He has been sent back to prison under $250,000 bail.
