15-year-old charged as adult with homicide in broad daylight Allentown shooting

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A 15-year-old boy is charged with homicide in a broad daylight shooting that later killed a man outside an Allentown pizza shop.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin and Allentown Police Chief Charles Roca Friday afternoon announced the arrest of Makal Faulco. He will be tried as an adult in the crime and is facing a felony, first-degree homicide charge.

Faulco was taken into custody Sept. 11 in Essex County, New Jersey and waived extradition Sept. 12 to Pennsylvania. An arrest warrant prior was filed in the case. He was arraigned before District Judge Patricia M. Engler on the homicide charge Friday and sent to Lehigh County jail without bail.

City officers were called at 4:40 p.m. Sept. 7 for the shooting outside A1 Pizza, 602 N. Sixth St. Police found 28-year-old Travis Ponce Debach shot several times and officers rendered aid until Emergency Medical Services arrived and took him to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township.

Debach was pronounced dead at 5:06 p.m. the same day at the hospital. The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office said his cause of death was gunshot wounds to the body, and the manner was ruled a homicide.

Investigators seized multiple 9-mm spent shell casings at the scene and the shooting was captured on several surveillance cameras. Several witnesses additionally identified Faulco as the shooter in the crime, authorities said.

The incident is being investigated by Allentown police, the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.

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