Pair Allegedly Threatened Pa. Detective in Wild Stolen Gun Case
What to Know
- Hanover Township authorities charged two people with allegedly threatening a police detective who investigated a stolen firearm that was later dipped in chicken batter and sent to the department via Uber.
- Investigators say Joel Mario Perez called the detective and read a threatening script that included the detective's home address, while Emily Ann Lopez allegedly wrote the message and solicited Perez to make the call.
- Perez and Lopez now face charges related to threatening a public servant, while Lopez was already facing charges connected to the stolen firearm investigation and an alleged fraudulent vehicle sale.
HANOVER TWP., PA—Two people are facing charges alleging they threatened a Hanover Township police detective who investigated a stolen firearm that was dipped in chicken batter before it was delivered via ride share to the Hanover Township Police Department.
Detectives with the Luzerne County District Attorney's Office charged Joel Mario Perez, 32, with calling the police detective and reading a script written by Emily Ann Lopez, 31, according to court records.
The script referenced the home address of the police detective and included telling "bad people" where the detective resides, court records say.
Perez, with a street name "Gordo," allegedly called the detective and read the script on June 17.
The Hanover Township police detective investigated and charged Lopez, of Sheridan St., Wilkes-Barre, in June after investigating the theft of a 9mm firearm from a parked vehicle on West Liberty Street in Newtown, and the fraudulent sale of a vehicle to a woman who resides in the Hanover Village Apartment Complex, court records say.
During the investigation that focused on Lopez, court records say, Perez admitted to county detectives that the firearm was dipped in chicken batter in an effort to destroy evidence before it was sent to the Hanover Township detective via the ride-share Uber.
Court records allege Perez, who was interviewed by county detectives at the York County Prison where he is jailed on theft, drug possession and access fraud offenses, claimed the stolen firearm investigation by the Hanover Township detective would stop if the stolen firearm was returned.
County detectives searched Perez's cellular phone and recovered the script he read to the Hanover Township detective, court records say.
According to court records, the script says, "Yo (expletive) you said if you got the gun back it be over so why the (expletive) is this bit** for me through people. I know where the (expletive) you live (detective's home address). I don't give a (expletive). I will catch that bit** soon n I'll tell every bad people I know where the (expletive) you live so they can do something bad to ya lien bit** (expletive)."
Lopez wrote the script on Perez's cellular phone seven minutes before he allegedly called the Hanover Township detective.
Perez claimed Lopez promised but never paid him $250 to call the police detective and read the script.
County detectives charged Perez with threatening unlawful harm to a judicial official or public servant, and Lopez with criminal solicitation to commit threatening unlawful harm to a judicial official or public servant, and criminal conspiracy.
Perez and Lopez have not been arraigned on the charges.
Regarding the theft of the firearm and the fraudulent sale of a vehicle, Lopez was released after being arraigned on those charges July 2, following the posting of $100,000 in total bail. Court records say Lopez's bail conditions require electronic monitoring.
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