Two men have been charged with breaking into two businesses inside the Clearview Mall in late 2020.

State police filed charges last month against Austin L. Randall, 21, of Butler, and Dominic A. Hayward, 24, of Apollo, including multiple counts of felony burglary, trespass and criminal conspiracy as well as misdemeanor counts of theft and criminal conspiracy.

Following their arraignment Dec. 20 by District Judge Lewis Stoughton, Randall was placed in Butler County Prison on $10,000 bond, and Hayward was released on his own recognizance.

According to charging documents, police are accusing Randall and Hayward of breaking into the Rural King on Nov. 1, 2020, and the Texas Roadhouse on Nov. 3, 2020, both located within the Clearview Mall in Center Township.

Police said during the first break-in, they found no items were stolen, but there was video showing two men and their clothing. Police said employees believed the men had hidden inside the store until after it had closed.

According to police, the men wore multiple pieces of clothing that were the same as those used in the Rural King break-in. Police said security footage shows the two men making entry through a roof hatch above the restaurant and taking items.

“The actors fled through the same roof hatch from which they entered,” said the investigating officer in the affidavit. “The actors took an iPad, a large metal pan containing steaks and a box with unknown items.”

According to documents, police interviewed Hayward on Jan. 4, 2021, about a separate matter, involving a stolen UTV, and during that time state police questioned him about the mall break-ins.

Police said Hayward admitted to breaking into Rural King with Randall.

“The break-in was so that they could steal tools, live chickens and a minibike,” police said. “They departed Rural King without taking anything due to an audible alarm activation.”

Then, in March, a Texas Roadhouse manager told police the stolen iPad had been turned on. Police said two days later, they followed the GPS coordinates to a home where Hayward's mother and stepfather were living.

The stepfather told officers Hayward gave him the iPad, and that Randall gave it to Hayward, asking him to reset it. The stepfather followed prompts on the screen, which advised him to turn on the location services.

“Once he turned on the location services feature, the iPad produced a message saying it was stolen,” police said. “The message also produced a phone number to call.”

The stepfather told officers he handed the iPad back to Hayward and told him to give it back to Randall.

Police said Hayward's parents positively identified them from photographs taken from the security footage of the break-ins.

Police said Hayward's mother had called her son as they pulled up and remained on the line during their investigation. Police said she was noticeably upset and scolding her son.

A preliminary hearing for both men has been scheduled for Feb. 8 before Stoughton.