Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Whitehall Police Chief Michael Marks announced a second arrest in a homicide investigation Dec. 20, 2024.

Liz Pacheco, 37, of Allentown, is charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy-criminal homicide, aggravated assault with attempt to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, all felonies of the first degree, and misdemeanor charges of tampering with/fabricating physical evidence and obstruction of law enforcement.

Pacheco was arraigned Dec. 20, 2024, and is in Lehigh County Prison with no bail.

Her preliminary hearing was planned for 9:45 a.m. Dec. 26, 2024.

She is the second person charged in the killing of Hector Garcia Gomez, who was shot and killed approximately 6:03 p.m. Dec. 7, 2024, in the parking lot of Loco Hot Deals, 1155 MacArthur Road, Whitehall.

Officers found Gomez with multiple gunshot wounds to his abdomen, and he was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Gomez succumbed to his injuries and was later pronounced dead. Gomez, 46, of Palmerton, died of multiple gunshot wounds to the torso, and his death was ruled a homicide by the Lehigh County coroner.

Pacheco is the former partner of Christian Martinez-Ramos, who was charged earlier this month for the shooting, according to Holihan.

Video surveillance showed Gomez’s vehicle arrive at the parking lot. While he was inside the store, his wife stayed inside the car. As Gomez left the store and began to get inside his car, a suspect vehicle parked behind him and gunshots were fired at him from inside the suspect vehicle.

The investigation revealed Pacheco was in communication with her former partner as they discussed plans of where to find Gomez and kill him. After the shooting, Pacheco reportedly assisted with the sale of the vehicle used by Martinez-Ramos during the killing.

The case was investigated by Whitehall Township Police Detective Lindsay Yetter, Lehigh County Homicide Task Force Detectives James Bruchak, Timothy Salgado and Amaury Almonte and will be prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney James A. Augustine.