Robber was shot, killed in struggle with man working on his car

The victim in an Allentown homicide earlier this month was shot to death by a man he’d tried to rob, investigators said Wednesday.

The shooter is not being identified and faces no charges for acting in self-defense, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said in a news release.

The incident occurred at about 2:55 p.m. Aug. 8 in the city’s 1700 block of South Idaho Street. Juan Rivera, 28, of Lowell, Massachusetts, ended up dead after he and another as-yet-unidentified man approached an individual who was in his vehicle in the rear parking lot of an apartment complex, Martin said.

The release gives the following account of what transpired:

“Rivera and his accomplice were both armed with handguns and wore facial coverings. Rivera approached the passenger-side door of the parked vehicle while his accomplice approached the driver-side door.

“The registered owner of the vehicle was in the rear passenger compartment doing work on the vehicle’s stereo system. Rivera and his accomplice pointed their guns at the vehicle owner and demanded his property. Rivera then got out of the vehicle and went into the vehicle owner’s apartment where Rivera pointed a gun at the occupants.

“Simultaneously, Rivera’s accomplice struck the owner in the head and pulled him out of the vehicle. A struggle ensued between the owner and the accomplice. During the struggle, the accomplice dropped his gun and the weapon was picked up by the vehicle owner. The accomplice fled the area on foot.

“Rivera exited the vehicle owner’s apartment and confronted the owner. Both the owner and Rivera began to run around the parking lot and behind other parked vehicles and both discharged their firearms. Rivera was struck but fled the scene. The vehicle owner was not struck by a bullet.”

Rivera was dropped off by two unidentified men in a silver Honda Odyssey at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Lehigh County Coroner Eric Minnich ruled the death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the body.

Allentown police and the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force investigated the shooting and were able to review video as part of the probe, according to the district attorney.