A Butler woman testified Monday that a man with a gun entered her home in April and stole her purse.

She later identified the suspect, 30-year-old Steven Spare of Summit Township, from a police photo lineup.

District Judge Pete Shaffer at Spare’s preliminary hearing ordered him held for court on charges of robbery, burglary and receiving stolen property.

Sherry Mershimer, 32, recounted her ordeal that began with a knock on the door of her home on West Diamond Street about 9:30 a.m. April 8. The voice on the other side claimed he was from the cable company.

When she opened the door, the suspect forced his way in. He pointed a gun at her and demanded money, she testified.

She described the gun as black. It appeared to be an older model pistol with a smaller than typical barrel.

Mershimer said the gunman, who she had not seen before, followed her into the bedroom where she had her purse. He took the purse that contained a wallet with credit cards and a cell phone, and left.

She testified that she closed the door and “cried for a good five minutes.”

Then she said she looked through the window blinds and saw the suspect walking nearby. She eventually notified police, but no arrests were immediately made.

Later that day, her bank called her to report someone had made three purchases totaling about $400 using her debit card, Mershimer testified.

Butler police Sgt. John Johnson said he reviewed video surveillance from 3B’s Tobacco at the Point Plaza in Butler Township, one of the stores where the victim’s card had been used to buy nearly $140 in merchandise.

A photograph of the man using the card was posted on the police Facebook page, Johnson testified, which generated tips of the man’s identity, Witt Yost Jr., 24, of Butler.

Police spoke to Yost, who claimed Spare had given him the card. He also claimed that Spare admitted he had taken the purse during a robbery at a home on West Diamond Street, Johnson recounted.

Police found Mershimer’s purse in garbage outside Yost’s home. Johnson said. However, missing were her credit cards and cell phone.

During the investigation, police showed the victim a photo lineup. She picked Spare out as the man who robbed her, according to testimony.

The defendant’s attorney, Michael Jewart, questioned Mershimer about what the robber looked like, trying to suggest his client was a victim of mistaken identity.

At one point, Jewart asked her how tall the man was who forced his way into her house.

“There was a gun in my face,” she replied, “I wasn’t paying attention to his height.”

Spare remains in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail.

Yost already pleaded guilty last week in county court to a charge of receiving stolen property in connection with the same case.

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors withdrew other charges of forgery and access device fraud.

Yost was sentenced to six months on probation, fined $100 and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, court records showed.