A man is facing robbery and theft charges in connection with two incidents in State College last week.
According to a criminal complaint filed on Monday, State College Police responded at about 9 p.m. on Oct. 25 when a Papa John’s delivery driver reported someone tried to take his money and phone before fleeing with a pizza he was delivering. The driver was delivering to a Bradley Avenue residence but was flagged down by a male, later identified as Kenneth T. Leh, 28, of State College, before arriving there.
Leh reportedly told the driver he ordered the pizza but had given the wrong address. He said he was from out of town and needed to go get money, then walked behind a building and out of site.
Police said that when Leh returned he asked to inspect the pizza, then placed it on the ground, put his hand in his waistband and allegedly told the driver ‘Give me your money and phone. I have a gun.’
The driver told police he was fearful for his safety but that it did not look like there was anything in Leh’s waistband. The driver backed up to his vehicle got in and drove away onto South Garner Street while Leh fled on foot toward University Drive, according to the complaint.
Police said the description of the suspect provided by the driver matched that of someone who had reportedly stolen money from a tip jar at Rothrock Coffee on South Atherton Street earlier that day.
In that case, store employees said they were counting money in the jar at the end of a shift and one noticed that several five dollar bills that had been there earlier were missing. Police reviewed surveillance video that showed a white male with brown hair and facial hair taking money from the jar at about 4:30 p.m., according to the complaint. Staff also reportedly told police they had seen the man on foot in the area on several other occasions.
Employees said the tip jar had contained about $50 to $60.
Police searched a computer database for males matching the suspect’s description that lived in the area of the coffee shop. Leh was identified as a possible suspect and a person that formerly lived with Leh identified him as the suspect in a still photo from the shop’s surveillance camera, police said.
On Oct. 26, the pizza delivery driver was shown a photo array and positively identified Leh as the man who attempted to rob him, according to the complaint.
Police requested a warrant because Leh’s address could not be verified and he had stayed with several people in the area recently. Police said Leh also was wanted by the state Probation and Parole Board.
He was taken into custody and charged with a felony count of robbery and misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
Leh was arraigned on Tuesday morning before District Judge Carmine Prestia. He was unable to post a total of $50,000 straight monetary bail and was placed in the Centre County Correctional Facility.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 8.
