Police identify alleged armed robber, say he is ‘dangerous’

One day after a man was arrested in connection with a State College robbery, a second man was charged.

Police first charged Penn State student Toure Williams with criminal conspiracy to commit robbery and placed him in the Centre County Correctional Facility in lieu of $25,000 bail. Authorities then charged Bilal McGruder, who is not a Penn State student.

Police have obtained a warrant for McGruder’s arrest. He was charged with robbery, simple assault, reckless endangerment, theft and fraud. Police consider McGruder, 21, of Philadelphia, to be armed and dangerous

“McGruder has been entered into the National Criminal Information Center as a wanted person,” State College police said in a release. “Anyone who comes in contact with McGruder or knows his whereabouts should contact their local police department.”

The charges stem from Monday when an alleged armed robbery occurred at 3:35 a.m. near the intersection of East Beaver Avenue and Hetzel Street.

Two Penn State students told police that they were robbed at gunpoint. The students said that a black man initially walked toward them, but changed directions to walk with them and they became “alarmed” by the man’s behavior.

Police said the man stopped the students, pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and told them to empty their pockets. The students told police that they gave the man what they had in their pockets and listened to the man’s instructions to walk away until they heard a shot fired and ran.

Police said they used video evidence to identify the suspects.

This story was originally published September 9, 2016 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Police identify alleged armed robber, say he is ‘dangerous’."