Court document provides new details about armed robbery, high-speed chase in Centre County
A New York man charged for robbing a store in Centre County at knifepoint was also accused of hitting an occupied vehicle during a high-speed pursuit, local police wrote in a charging document made available Monday.
Brian Baritot, 40, hit the vehicle after 7:30 p.m. Friday near the intersection of Gemar Avenue and North Harrison Road in Spring Township, police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. The vehicle was moderately damaged.
The pursuit ended shortly after when Baritot failed to negotiate a sharp right turn in the 200 block of North Harrison Road, sending his vehicle airborne into a field, Spring Township police wrote. His vehicle was then pinned to a tree by a state police at Rockview vehicle.
Baritot still did not comply after the crash, police wrote, and was shocked with a Taser before being arrested.
Three troopers had minor injuries from broken glass during the arrest, a state police at Rockview spokesperson said Monday.
Officers were attempting to arrest Baritot after employees of the Dollar General near Pleasant Gap, 586 E. College Ave., reported he robbed the discount chain at knifepoint about 7:15 p.m. Friday. He was accused of stealing $245.
State police found him about 15 minutes later in a church parking lot in Centre Hall, leading to the high-speed chase over Centre Hall mountain and back into Spring Township.
No defense lawyer was listed and the Centre County Public Defender Office said it does not represent him as of Monday afternoon.
After he was arrested, police said they learned Baritot was wanted or suspected of five similar crimes, including a bank robbery in New York. He admitted to the robberies in an interview with police, a detective wrote.
In Centre County, he was charged with felony counts of robbery, fleeing law enforcement and terroristic threats, as well as four misdemeanors and two summary traffic violations.
He was denied bail Saturday by District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker and is incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4.
This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 1:33 PM.