Man Accused of Breaking Into State College Area Restaurant, Stealing Cash

A man used a large rock to break through the glass front door of a State College area restaurant then stole money from the register early Tuesday morning, according to police.

Sebastian Lopez-Perez made off with more than $180 in cash from College Buffet, 1631 N. Atherton St. in Patton Township after the burglary at about 1:40 a.m., township police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.

The charging document did not include Lopez-Perez’s age or place of residence.

A review of video footage from the restaurant showed a man with black hair and wearing a T-shirt, jeans and partially beaded neckless wandering around inside before opening the cash register at the front desk, according to the affidavit. He took cash and coins from the register, put them in his pockets and fled the scene, police wrote.

The owner estimated $180 in cash, including $2 bills, was missing, along with an unknown amount in coins.

A detective said she observed blood throughout the restaurant, including on items to the left side of the register.

While investigating the area in North Atherton Place shopping plaza, the detective spotted a man, later identified as Lopez-Perez, matching the description of the suspect seen on the video and officers stopped him in front of Walmart, 1665 N. Atherton St.

Lopez-Perez was wearing a partially beaded necklace like the one seen in the video footage and had an actively bleeding wound on his left elbow, consistent with the blood found to the left of the cash register, according to the affidavit.

Police searched Lopez-Perez upon his arrest and found $376 in cash, including $2 bills, along with $19.16 in coins in his pants pockets, according to the affidavit.

A search of the duffle bag he was carrying revealed a pair of jeans with suspected blood on the left leg and sneakers matching those of the man seen on video, police wrote.

Lopez-Perez is charged with felony counts of burglary and criminal trespass, and misdemeanor counts of theft and criminal mischief.

He was arraigned on Tuesday night by District Judge Steven Lachman and was unable to post $25,000 bail. He is currently detained at the Centre County Correctional Facility.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9.