New York man sent to prison after armed robbery, police chase in Centre County
A man was sentenced Friday to at least 6 1/2 years in state prison for an armed robbery in Centre County, as well as another heist in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Brian Baritot, 41, of New York, was sentenced by Centre County Judge Julia Rater to a maximum of 13 years in prison. He received credit for about 7 1/2 months served in the Centre County Correctional Facility.
Baritot was arrested in November after a Dollar General employee told Spring Township police he robbed $245 from the store, 586 E. College Ave., at knifepoint. He was later found by state police at Rockview in a church parking lot in Centre Hall.
A high-speed pursuit followed over Centre Hall mountain and ended when Baritot failed to negotiate a sharp right turn in the 200 block of North Harrison Road. He went airborne, crashed into a field and troopers pinned his vehicle to a tree.
He was then shocked with a Taser after he did not comply. Three troopers were treated for minor injuries caused by broken glass during the arrest, a state police at Rockview spokesperson told the Centre Daily Times.
Money and a knife were found in the cab of Baritot’s truck, police wrote. He did not speak before his sentence was handed down.
After he was arrested, police said they learned Baritot was wanted or suspected of five similar crimes, including a bank robbery in New York and a robbery of a Dollar General in Erie County. He admitted to the crimes in an interview, police wrote.
Baritot pleaded guilty in March to two felony counts of robbery, one in Centre County and the other in Erie County. Eight other charges were dropped. Centre County Assistant District Attorney Matt Metzger said charges against Baritot are pending in New York.