NEW CASTLE Man waives hearing; back in jail for now

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A Mercer County man is back in jail after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing.
William Lee Bobbert, 28, of Grove City, faces charges of attempted criminal homicide and aggravated assault.
He was scheduled to appear before District Justice James Rishel in Shenango Township for a preliminary hearing Thursday.
His attorney, Norman Levine of New Castle, however, said they agreed to waive his right to a preliminary hearing after looking at the evidence.
Levine said he did petition the court to reduce Bobbert's $100,000 bail and expects a hearing next week in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.
Bobbert was arrested Sept. 11 by Pennsylvania State Police after turning himself in at Levine's office.
He is accused of stabbing George Heckathorne, 42, of McNulty Road, Plain Grove Township.
The affidavit filed to support the charges says Bobbert and Heckathorne got into a heated argument outside of 121 McNulty Road on Sept. 9 and Bobbert was escorted off the property.
He returned sometime later and stabbed Heckathorne once in the neck and twice in the abdomen.
Heckathorne was taken to at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.
He has since been released from the hospital and was at Rishel's office Thursday for the scheduled preliminary hearing.