BUTLER TWP — An East Butler man arrested four times in three months for drunken driving is headed for rehab as his mounting cases make their way through the courts.

While Dean M. Minto’s decision to enter a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility may have kept him out of prison for now, Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger vowed to keep an eye on him.

“He’s had so many DUI arrests in the past several months that I believe he is a danger to society,” Goldinger said Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Butler Township police filed the latest criminal case against the 45-year-old Minto, stemming from his arrest May 8 for suspected driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

In that case, police said, Minto passed out in his car about 12:20 p.m. after driving to the Agway parking lot.

A customer-turned-good Samaritan saw him slumped over the wheel and put the car in park before taking the keys out of the vehicle, according to court documents.

The customer took the keys into the store and told the clerk why she took the action.

Police were notified, but before officers got there, Minto awakened and was causing problems at the store.

“He was upset someone had taken his keys,” said Butler Township police Lt. Matthew Pearson.

Officers arrived and arrested Minto after he failed field sobriety tests. Police said he also admitted to having consumed alcohol and methadone.

He was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for a blood test and because of his extreme intoxicated condition.

He was so impaired, police said, that medical staff kept him overnight.

Minto was discharged from the hospital the morning of May 9 and immediately showed up at the township police station to pick up his car, which was impounded after his arrest.

He filled out the required forms and police returned his car keys.

“We have to go by the rules of criminal procedure,” Pearson said. “Legally, we can’t take his car.”

Hours later, about 6:40 p.m., Minto crashed his car into the back of another vehicle on West New Castle Street in Butler.

The other driver, a 61-year-old Butler woman and her passenger, a 70-year-old Butler woman, were both taken to Butler Memorial with minor injuries.

Minto, who was not hurt, was arrested for suspicion of drugged or drunken driving, Butler police said.

His alleged DUIs on consecutive days followed two earlier arrests in March and April.

On March 2, Jackson Township police arrested him following a traffic stop. He was subsequently charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

A month later, state police arrested him after they found him asleep at the wheel of his running car April 3 at a book store parking lot on Route 38 in Summit Township, court documents said,

He is charged in that case with driving under the influence of drugs.

Those two earlier cases are pending in county court.

Butler Township police on Tuesday charged Minto after recently receiving toxicology tests that showed his blood-alcohol level May 8 was 0.138 percent, documents said, well above the state’s 0.08 percent legal limit.

Cocaine and methadone also were present in his system, the tests found.

He is charged with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Butler police said they are still waiting for toxicology reports before charging Minto. Those test results could come later this week, said police Capt. David Dalcamo.

Goldinger, aware of the cases against Minto and concerned for the safety of other motorists, stepped in May 28 to file a written request to revoke Minto’s non-monetary bond set in the April drugged driving case and put him in the county prison.

A hearing was scheduled for Monday on the request, but Goldinger said it was continued because Minto entered an inpatient rehabilitation facility.

“He’s in treatment, and I’m satisfied with that for now,” Goldinger said. “That is the only way this problem can be resolved long term. We can’t put someone in jail forever. But hopefully treatment will resolve this issue.”

Goldinger said his bond request “is still hanging” and it could be revisited depending on the outcome of Minto’s rehabilitation effort.

Eagle staff writer Kim Paskorz contributed to this report.