An arrest has been made in the death of Nestor Luis Ortiz DeLeon, 44, of 511 Walnut St., Allentown, following an intensive four-week investigation by police.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin and Upper Macungie Police Chief Edgardo Colón announced on March 23 that Gustavo Velez-Hernandez had been taken into custody at his home in the 1300 block of Chew St., Allentown, without incident and charged with one count of criminal homicide and one count of possessing a firearm when he is not allowed to have one, a felony of the first degree. Velez-Hernandez was preliminarily arraigned in Central Booking by Magisterial District Judge David Howells the same day.

There is no bail on the charge of criminal homicide, Martin said, adding Velez-Hernandez was committed to Lehigh County Jail.

According to Martin and Colón, Upper Macungie police responded at approximately 11:04 p.m. Feb. 24 to Customized Distribution Services, 8400 Industrial Boulevard, Breinigsville, where they discovered Ortiz DeLeon, unconscious and unresponsive.

Ortiz DeLeon was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, where he succumbed to his injuries. An autopsy was performed by Dr. Barbara Bollinger of Forensic Pathology Associate, who concluded Ortiz DeLeon’s death was due to a gunshot wound to the head. The manner of his death was ruled a homicide.

The investigation disclosed Velez-Hernandez allegedly waited for Ortiz DeLeon who was reporting to work at or about the time of the shooting. Investigators viewed video surveillance evidence from the general locale of CDS and phone records of the defendant and others.

In addition, a yellow Mitsubishi Eclipse was shown on the video in the vicinity of CDS at or about the time of this homicide, and which was subsequently stopped for a traffic violation in Elizabeth, N.J.

According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained from District Judge Michael Faulkner office, the Mitsubishi was allegedly owned by a female friend of Velez-Hernandez.

Martin and Colon thanked the Allentown Police Department Emergency Response Team; Berks County detectives; the Police Department of Elizabeth, N.J.; Lehigh County Homicide Task Force, Muhlenberg Township police, Berks County; Pa. State Police, Troop M, Forensics Services Unit; Upper Macungie police detectives, Upper Saucon police, Criminal Analyst Ashley Lovett of Lehigh County Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center; and First Assistant District Attorney Steven M. Luksa.