Steven Spare

Butler police are seeking a five-time felon wanted in a suspected armed home invasion Tuesday morning.

The suspect, Steven Spare, 29, is accused of forcing his way into a woman’s house in the 500 block of West Diamond Street and stealing her purse shortly before 10 a.m.

She told police that the intruder, who she apparently did not know, was carrying a gun.

The 31-year-old woman, who investigators did not identify, was not hurt.

Spare, whose last known address was in Summit Township, is wanted on charges of robbery, burglary and receiving stolen property.

Police suspect Spare gave 23-year-old Witt Yost Jr. of Butler a credit card that was in the victim’s purse.

Yost allegedly used the card Tuesday at three stores in Butler Township, where he made a combined $460 in transactions.

Police arrested Yost, who told investigators that Spare admitted he had stolen the credit card from a woman.

Yost was booked into the Butler County Prison about 11:20 p.m. to await arraignment this morning on charges of forgery, access device fraud and receiving stolen property.

Spare has a long criminal record that includes four felony drug possession cases in Butler County and one in Allegheny County.

In November 2010, he was sentenced to 21 to 48 months in state prison for the drug cases in Butler County, records showed.

Yost, too, has had prior scrapes with the law.

He is scheduled to go to trial next week in Allegheny County on charges of theft, access device fraud and simple assault, filed by Pittsburgh police in May 2013.

Anyone with information about Spare’s whereabouts is asked to call 724-287-7743, or 911.