Man charged in Allentown homicide; texted ‘he dead’ after shooting, police say

A man is accused of killing another man nearly a year ago in Allentown, according to authorities.

Evander Thompson, 30, is charged in the September death of Orlando Ibanez , according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan.

Ibanez, 58, was fatally shot early in the morning of Sept. 23 in the 500 block of West Allen Street.

Thompson is charged with homicide, aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license and a misdemeanor offense of prohibited possession of firearm. Charges were filed Friday.

Ibanez was found shot in the neck in his apartment and was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The DA’s office said surveillance footage showed a man going into the apartment minutes before the shooting, and then running away from the scene afterward. He was later identified as Thompson, according to investigators.

City and privately owned cameras showed Thompson returning to his home in the 200 block of North Nagle Street after the shooting, police said. He was also seen at a bar in Allentown before the shooting, the release states.

Police found that Thompson had texted his girlfriend “he dead” minutes after the shooting, according to court documents.

Investigators recovered the gun and found it had matched with the shell casings found at the scene of the shooting, police said.

Thompson was arraigned on the charges Friday. He was sent to Lehigh County Prison without bail.