Nicholas Woyton

BUFFALO TWP — An Armstrong County man accused of shoplifting twice at the same hardware store in the township in less than three weeks is already facing trial for allegedly stealing three times from the same store in Butler Township.

A preliminary hearing for Nicholas D. Woyton, 37, of Ford City is set for Jan. 10 in the latest cases filed against him.

Buffalo Township Police on Dec. 4 charged Woyton with swiping a drill driver Oct. 28 from the True Value on Route 356. He was back at the store Nov. 14, according to court documents, when he put a tool combination set in his pants.

The store manager tried to stop him from leaving the second time, police said. But he allegedly told the manager to get away and left in a sport utility vehicle.

Police, however, arrested him the next day, only minutes after Butler Township Police say he shoplifted a set of $200 headphones at the Target store at the Butler Commons shopping plaza.

A Target security employee about 10:30 a.m. Nov. 15 reported seeing Woyton walk out with the merchandise, court documents said.

The call went out on police radio and a short time later troopers notified Buffalo Township Police that they had just passed the suspect's vehicle.

Buffalo police stopped the vehicle on the 600 block of Route 356, authorities said, and found Woyton with the stolen headphones.

He was turned over to Butler Township Police and arraigned on charges in the Nov. 15 shoplifting incident. He ended up in the Butler County Prison.

Before the month was over, police in Butler Township charged Woyton with two previous thefts at the same Target. He is accused of stealing a Fit Bit activity tracker, valued at $150 each, both on Oct. 23 and Nov. 13.

He was released from prison on his own recognizance Nov. 30 after waiving his preliminary hearing in those Butler Township cases. He is charged with three counts each of receiving stolen property and retail theft.

In the Buffalo Township cases, he is charged with two counts each of receiving stolen property and retail theft.

Allegheny County Court records showed that Woyton also has a preliminary hearing set for March in connection with an alleged shoplifting incident Oct. 23 at the Kohl's department store in Ross Township.