On Oct. 1, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Whitehall Township Police Chief Michael Marks announced a second defendant has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to state prison in a Whitehall homicide investigation.

Liz Marie Pacheco, 38, of Allentown, pleaded guilty Oct. 1 to murder of the third degree. As part of a plea deal that noted her lack of a past criminal record and cooperation in this homicide investigation, she received a fixed sentence of five-10 years in state prison.

Pacheco entered the guilty plea and was sentenced before Judge Robert L. Steinberg.

Two other defendants are also being charged in the killing of Hector Garcia Gomez, who was shot and killed just after 6 p.m. Dec. 7, 2024, in the parking lot of Loco Hot Deals at 1155 MacArthur Road.

Gomez’s wife, Brenda Rodriguez, pleaded guilty Sept. 22 to a felony charge of conspiracy-aggravated assault. Rodriguez will be sentenced 9:30 a.m. Nov. 5 and could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Christian Martinez-Ramos is awaiting trial in this investigation.

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

According to reports, video surveillance showed Garcia Gomez’s vehicle arrive in the parking lot. While he was inside the store, Rodriguez stayed inside the car and appeared to be on her phone.

The investigation revealed Rodriguez was providing information via cellphone detailing her husband’s location to Pacheco. Pacheco then relayed the location to Martinez-Ramos, who arrived minutes later to the parking lot.

The investigation showed that as Garcia Gomez left the store and began to get inside his car, Martinez-Ramos drove his vehicle through the parking lot and parked behind Garcia Gomez. Gunshots were fired at Garcia Gomez from the Martinez-Ramos vehicle, striking Garcia Gomez multiple times.

After Garcia Gomez was shot, video surveillance showed Rodriguez remained inside the car for more than 22 seconds. Rodriguez got out of the car, adjusted her clothing and hair and picked up several items before slowly walking into the store, according to the video.

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