BUTLER TWP — Toting two large bottles of liquor and a mouth stuffed with beef jerky, a suspected burglar was caught red handed Wednesday morning in the Slovak Club.

Patrick L. Duncan, 36, of Clearfield Township admitted to the break-in, and even apologized to Butler Township officers, claiming he had “a drug problem,” according to investigators.

And before long, authorities said, he was confessing to burglarizing a Penn Township bar two days earlier.

Duncan is being held in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail, charged in both break-ins.

A burglar alarm at 7:44 a.m. Wednesday sent Butler Township police to the Slovak Club on Bessemer Avenue in Lyndora.

Officers got there and noticed a green Chevrolet Tracker in the rear alley behind the club. The rear hatch was open, police said, and inside the vehicle were two flat-screen televisions.

The officers made their way into the club and heard someone in the building. In the bar area, they found the defendant. He had bottles of whiskey and tequila tucked under each arm.

His mouth, according to court documents, was “full of beef jerky” that was in the club.

Officers ordered him onto the floor and he complied, eventually. Near where he stretched out, police said, were two broken strip ticket machines that had blood smudges on them.

The officers recognized Duncan, because they knew Butler police had an arrest warrant for him in connection with two forgery cases. His name also had come up, police said, in other burglary investigations.

A search of the suspect turned up $310 in currency, a pocket knife, screwdriver, a pair of black bandannas and a syringe.

Duncan, who had bleeding cuts on his hands, repeatedly apologized to officers, police said, citing his drug addiction.

Officers led him outside, but when they tried to put him in a cruiser, documents said, he tried to break free. He was stopped and placed in the patrol car.

But a short time later, the defendant allegedly smashed the rear, driver’s side window with his head, and tried to climb out.

When police stopped him again, he was bleeding from the left temple.

Following his continued failed getaways, he apologized over and over, police said.

Officers subsequently inspected the inside of the club and determined that Duncan had damaged two floor-mounted safes, several wooden doors and frames, and an antique decorative flag staff, as well as a cash register and the ticket machines.

In all, the damages exceeded $20,000, police said.

During their investigation, officers also learned that the Chevy Tracker they found in back of the club had been stolen from West Deer Township, Allegheny County.

It was not known if Duncan is suspected in the vehicle theft. A telephone call to West Deer police was not immediately returned.

But Penn Township police suspected Duncan was responsible for Monday’s early morning break-in at McBride Station on Route 8.

And when officers interviewed him following his arrest for the Slovak Club break-in, documents said, he admitted to having burglarized McBride Station.

Police said surveillance footage at the bar captured Duncan committing the crime.

The video showed the suspect, dressed in a dark coat and hooded sweat shirt, approach the back door about 3:30 a.m., holding what appeared to be a long crow bar, documents said.

It took him a while but he eventually forced his way in. Interior security cameras showed the burglar move to the bar area and remove the cash register, taking it outside.

Several minutes later, police said, he returned inside and unsuccessfully tried to take the automated teller machine. He moved onto two video gaming machines, which he pried open, taking money from the currency boxes.

He stuffed the currency into his coat pockets and left, documents said.

Duncan is charged in the Butler Township crime with burglary, trespass, theft, criminal mischief, receiving stolen property, possessing an instrument of crime and resisting arrest.

In the Penn Township crime, he is charged with burglary, trespass, theft, criminal mischief, possessing an instrument of crime and driving with a suspended license.

For the Butler warrants, he is charged with forging several stolen checks of a combined more than $1,000 that were chased in the city in January.