Teens Charged With Brick Beating Waive Hearings

Two Allentown teenagers charged with waived their preliminary hearings Thursday, according to news reports.

Darryl Pippinger, 18, and Giancarlo Saldana, 15, who are charged with attempted homicide and other offenses, gave up their rights to hearings in front of District Judge David Harding, according to a report in the Express-Times. Their cases will be tried in Lehigh County Court.

The pair are each being held in Lehigh County Prison in lieu of $1 million bail.

Pippinger gave up his right to a preliminary hearings for other seven other county cases involving robbery, theft, drugs and other offenses, the Express-Times said.

Saldana is also charged for his alleged role in an auto theft ring that stole eight vehicles March 30 from Affinity Auto Sales in Salisbury Township, according to The Morning Call.

Pippinger and Saldana were arrested June 19 and charged with beating Matt Neitz with bricks and robbing him as he waited for a bus on E. Susquehanna Street, police said. The teens fled in a stolen SUV before crashing it at the Hallmark store, 3031 Emmaus Ave. The pair ran through residents' backyards and allegedly stole keys from employees at Iobst's Sunoco, 464 State Ave., Emmaus, before they were chased and apprehended by Emmaus and