Osceola Mills man allegedly attempts to escape police through ceiling

An Osceola Mills man was taken into custody after allegedly attempting to escape police by crawling through a ceiling.

According to the criminal complaint filed by state police at Philipsburg, troopers arrived at about 6 p.m. Thursday to the Brothers Pizza along North Front Street in the Philipsburg borough to serve a warrant on Bruce S. Groff, 26.

Groff allegedly locked himself in the bathroom when troopers arrived, police said, and refused to come out. As troopers knocked on the door, they reportedly could hear “items falling and banging around in the bathroom.”

Groff had taken out ceiling tiles and crawled onto the roof of the men’s restroom, police said. As he attempted to crawl toward a rear exit, he reportedly fell through the ceiling into the women’s restroom.

He was taken into custody in the women’s restroom, police said. He reportedly told troopers he was aware he was several months behind on payments from previous charges.

According to court documents, Groff was previously arraigned in April on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, fleeing police, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving while privileges were suspended. The total cost of the damaged ceiling is unknown at this time, police said.

He was arraigned Thursday before District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker, court documents said, and charged with misdemeanor counts of flight to avoid apprehension and criminal mischief. Straight monetary bail was set at $50,000 and he was taken to the Centre County Correctional Facility.

A preliminary hearing is slated for Wednesday.

This story was originally published June 30, 2017 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Osceola Mills man allegedly attempts to escape police through ceiling."