An Australian man arrested on charges of harassing a Penn State student earlier this month has fled the country after being charged with stealing more than $2,000 worth of Cuisinart merchandise from Wegmans, 345 Lowes Blvd.

Trent Young, a 29-year-old resident of Sydney, is now in Australia and has plans to return to Centre County to face charges, State College Police Department Officer Dave White said.

"He wants to have some sort of closure on the charges," White said.

Young was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property for thefts that allegedly occurred between Nov. 22 and Dec. 8, according to police documents.

The father of the harassment victim said Young presented the stolen property to his family as Christmas gifts.

White said he suspected the gifts were stolen after Young was arrested for misdemeanor theft at a Wegmans store near Allentown on Dec. 31.

Because Young had been in the State College area, the father of the victim said he contacted police to investigate whether Young had committed similar thefts from the Wegmans in Patton Township.

According to police documents, video surveillance from the State College Wegmans showed Young placing items, including wine glasses, cookware, tea kettles and other non-perishable merchandise, in a shopping cart and exiting the store without paying on several occasions.

Detective Christopher Federinko of the Patton Township Police Department interviewed Young Thursday, at which time he admitted to stealing the merchandise.

Federinko released Young, and an informal arraignment was scheduled for the following afternoon. Young failed to appear at the arraignment, and District Justice Bradley Lunsford's office confirmed an arrest warrant.

It is unclear why Young was not arrested when he made his confession on Friday.

Multiple attempts to contact Federinko were unsuccessful.