Butler police arrested a city man in the act of trying to break into a woman’s apartment Tuesday night.

But officers soon learned this was no random crime. And this crime came with a twist.

The suspect, Brandon G. Meier, 24, was causing a commotion on the porch of the apartment in the 400 block of West New Castle Street about 10 p.m. when officers got there.

He was standing on the porch “yelling and banging” a folding chair against the door window, said police Sgt. William Mayhugh in court documents. The window shattered as Mayhugh was getting out of his patrol car.

Meier kept telling police “she ripped (me) off for $40” and “she stole $40 from me,” documents said.

The suspect was referring to Jennifer Shoaf, 34, who lives at the apartment. She was home when police got there.

Shoaf told police Meier was at her apartment earlier that day and had stolen $50 from her purse.

Later that night, Meier called Shoaf and asked her if she would help him buy heroin.

“Shoaf agreed to this,” Mayhugh’s affidavit said, “with the intention of ripping him off and attempting to get her money back.”

The woman said she met Meier at West New Castle and Broad streets where he gave her $40, supposedly for her to buy the heroin.

Shoaf took the money and promptly returned to her apartment.

Angered by the apparent turnabout, the suspect showed up at Shoaf’s apartment and began beating the door with the chair.

He eventually broke the door window and reached inside in a bid to unlock the door. That’s when officers got there, Mayhugh said.

Police noted Shoaf suffered minor cuts on both legs and one foot, from the door window shattering on her.

Officers searched Meier and found a spoon with suspected drug residue and a used syringe in his pants pockets, documents said.

He was placed in the Butler County Prison to await arraignment this morning on charges of attempted burglary, simple assault, criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police did not charge Shoaf.