KARNS CITY — State police on Monday charged three Butler County men with trying to break into several vehicles in the borough last year.

Charged with attempted theft from a vehicle and loitering and prowling at night, both misdemeanors, are David P. Deal, 19, of Jefferson Township; Justin Lee Lieberum, 30, of Butler; and Joshua C. Rock, 21, of Lyndora.

Investigators suspect the defendants were together in the early morning of Aug. 29 on Petrolia Street in Karns City, scouting for vehicles to break into, according to court documents.

One of the vehicles the trio targeted was a pickup truck that, unbeknownst to the would-be thieves, happened to be occupied by the owner. The pickup was locked so the suspects next went to a car parked in front of the truck, police said.

When the defendants got into the unlocked car, the owner of the truck got out and scared them off. The three drove away in a blue minivan.

The investigation eventually led to Deal, Lieberum and Rock, who all confessed, documents said. They face preliminary hearings June 2 at the office of District Judge Lewis Stoughton in Chicora.

Court records showed that Lieberum on Feb. 19 pleaded guilty to theft from a vehicle in a 2014 case filed by Butler police.

In that case, city police said, the defendant broke into several cars Aug. 22 in the area of South Church and Vero streets. Officers caught him in the act.

He was sentenced to 12 months on probation following his guilty plea.

Cranberry Township police in January charged Deal with receiving stolen property stemming from a 2013 theft. That case is pending in county court.