Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced a woman charged in a Whitehall Township homicide received a state prison sentence. Brenda Rodriguez, 52, of Palmerton, pleaded guilty in September to a felony charge of conspiracy, aggravated assault.

She was sentenced Nov. 5 before Judge Robert L. Steinberg to serve 2.5-10 years in state prison.

Rodriguez is the final of three defendants to be sentenced in the Dec. 7, 2024, killing of Hector Garcia Gomez, who was shot several times while in the parking lot of Loco Hot Deals, 1155 MacArthur Road, Whitehall.

Last month, Christian Martinez-Ramos, 36, of Allentown, pleaded guilty to murder of the third degree and conspiracy to commit murder of the third degree — both felonies. Martinez-Ramos was sentenced to serve 30-60 years in state prison.

Liz Marie Pacheco pleaded guilty last month to murder of the third degree and was sentenced to serve five to 10 years in state prison.

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

Rodriguez is the wife of Garcia Gomez.

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 and parked directly behind the victim’s car.

As Garcia Gomez left the store and began to get inside his car, Martinez-Ramos opened fire from his vehicle and fled the area.

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 was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney James A. Augustine.