A Coalport man is behind bars after allegedly breaking into a vehicle on a local college campus and then running from police when confronted in two separate but related cases.

Sean Michael Keppler, 37, was arraigned Saturday in both cases by Magisterial District Judge Paula M. Aigner on felony counts of theft, larceny from a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and escape, as well as two felony resisting arrest and one. the crime of evading arrest.

Unable to post $75,000 bail in either case, Keppler was remanded to the Blair County Jail.

Penn State University Police received a call from a victim regarding a theft from her vehicle. When officers reviewed surveillance video, they saw an unknown individual, later identified as Keppler, enter the vehicle before exiting the parking lot on foot. The stolen property was valued at approximately $2,400, according to the probable cause affidavit.

On Friday, an officer with the Altoona Police Department radioed other officers that he thought he saw the suspect enter the Sheetz at 700 Chestnut Ave. The officer entered Sheetz and told Keppler he was the subject of a police investigation. Keppler then ran outside, across the Sheetz parking lot, Chestnut Avenue and paralleled the Eighth Street Bridge with the 10th Avenue Freeway, according to the report.

During the foot pursuit, the officer gave Keppler several verbal commands to stop, but Keppler continued to flee eastbound, running alongside railroad tracks and into the fenced property of the Union tank car. There, another officer saw Keppler in the cart pit trying to run south. The officer drew a Taser and told Keppler to stop. When Keppler ignored him, he discharged the Taser, incapacitating Keppler, court documents state.

During the pursuit, one officer suffered a strained right knee and injuries to both hands that required stitches, the report said. The officer reported that Keppler was wearing the same hat, glasses and white sneakers that were shown in the surveillance video. When Keppler was arrested, he had about $863 on him, police records show.

In an interview with Penn State police, Keppler said he knew he was the burglary suspect and fled on foot to avoid arrest. The officers told Keppler that he did not have to admit to the theft, but the officers wanted to retrieve the items. Keppler told them he dumped several items in Federal Alley, while others were located at his halfway house in Coalport, court documents state.

Keppler’s preliminary hearings are set for Nov. 6 before District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio.