Woman, 24, arrested on burglary charges
Butler police suspect a woman arrested early Tuesday for burglarizing a discount store hid in the downtown business until it closed the night before.
The suspected burglar, 24-year-old Creanna L. Martin of Butler, later helped herself to some of the merchandise while she had the run of the Dollar General, police said
When officers nabbed her shortly before 4:30 a.m., she was wearing a pair of sweat pants that still had the price tag on them. She also had fitted her feet with a new pair of store slippers.
Martin was arraigned on felony charges of burglary and trespass, and a misdemeanor charge of retail theft. She is in the Butler County Prison on $25,000 bail.
The store manager stumbled on the surreptitious shopper at 4:18 a.m. when she opened the Dollar General for a truck delivery man, police said. She spotted the suspect inside and then saw her exit out the back door.
Police were quickly notified and they soon had Martin in handcuffs, catching her at North Main and Brady streets.
Patrolman Travis Buckshire noticed a price tag of $12.50 on the gray sweat pants the defendant wore. The slippers on her feet were held together by the elastic band used to package the footwear for sale.
Back at the store, officers found several large beach totes in the aisles. The totes contained assorted merchandise, including an opened bottle of vitamins.
Lt. Detective Anthony Fatta said police believe Martin had packed the items to take with her before the store opened for usual business today.
“It appears that Martin was inside the store for an extended period,” Fatta said, “and she filled the bags with the intent to steal the merchandise.”
Martin only recently had gotten out of jail after serving a sentence for two separate crimes at Slippery Rock University, where she attended and was a member of the school’s track team.
Last summer, she was arrested after streaking across campus. She led an SRU officer on the bare-naked dash that took her in and out of the Morrow Field House and nearby West Lake Pond.
In February, she stole a debit card from a friend’s dormitory at SRU.
Martin pleaded guilty to charges in both cases, including open lewdness and identity theft, and on April 14 was sentenced to 30 days to 12 months in county prison. She was immediately paroled for time served.
