Two people are jailed on charges they stole nearly $200 from a Butler fruit stand in a suspected distraction theft Wednesday afternoon.

City police arrested Dean M. Minto, 44, of East Butler and Heather M. Cieloszyk, 29, of Harrisville on theft and conspiracy charges.

Police believe the defendants about 2 p.m. teamed up to distract a clerk and steal money from a cash box behind the fruit stand in front of Oesterling’s Lawn & Garden Center at Monroe and Jefferson streets.

A man told police that he saw a woman, later identified as Cieloszyk, take the money and run, according to court documents. But she didn’t get far.

The witness chased after and caught Cieloszyk at Elm and Jefferson streets. He was holding her down when officers got there.

Police said they found Cieloszyk clutching $151 in her hand. A search of her purse turned up $40 in one-dollar bills — the remainder of the stolen loot, documents said.

A few minutes later, Minto returned to the stand and was arrested. Cieloszyk admitted her role in the theft and implicated her alleged accomplice, police said.

Minto and Cieloszyk were arraigned on charges and placed in the Butler County Prison on $7,500 and $5,000 bail, respectively.

Police, meanwhile, in an unrelated case Wednesday charged Minto with stealing a gas can from the porch of a home in the 100 block of Fifth Avenue about 11 a.m. Monday.

He is charged with theft in that case.