WORTHTWP — Turns out there are a million and one uses for duct tape.

A Muddy Creek Township man found the latest use on Sunday for the so-called "wonder tool."

State police said Joshua Scott Sunday used the sticky, silvery tape to hide his face when he robbed a northern Butler County fast food restaurant Friday night.

Authorities also suspect Sunday used the same novel disguise — pieces of duct tape over his cheeks and forehead — to hold up three other stores in Lawrence County on Friday.

The defendant — not surprisingly dubbed the "duct tape robber" — was arrested early Saturday morning after wrecking his sport utility vehicle near the Butler-Lawrence County line.

He is already charged with robbing the Dairy Queen on Route 108 in Worth Township. He could soon face charges in similar holdups at three 7-Eleven stores in Neshannock Township, Shenango Township and Ellwood City.

Sunday, 23, of 147 Beaus Drive is being held in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bond.

Police suspect Sunday, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and purple tie-dyed shirt, entered the Dairy Queen about 8:25 p.m. and walked up the counter.

He told employee Matthew O'Neil:"This is a robbery. Give me all the money in the register,"according to a police affidavit.

Apparently believing the man behind the duct tape disguise was joking, O'Neil did not comply. But Sunday repeated the demand, police said, this time threatening to shoot the employee if he didn't turn over the money.

"O'Neil noted that the (robber) had one of his hands in the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt as if he had a firearm,"the affidavit said.

O'Neil handed over all the currency in the register to the robber, who apologized.

O'Neil said the robber told him "that he was sorry and that he had problems because he had bills to pay," court documents said.

Police said the robber went out the door and drove off in a Mitsubishi Montero Sport.

Abe-on-the-lookout advisory for the robber and details of the crime prompted an immediate call from Wampum police in Lawrence County. The Dairy Queen robbery sounded like other holdups in the neighboring county earlier that day.

Several Lawrence County police departments suspected Sunday and were watching for his sport utility vehicle.

About 35 minutes after the Dairy Queen robbery, state police got a call from Crystal Piper who reported being "nearly run off the road by a Mitsubishi Montero near her home.

Piper, who resides at the same Lake Arthur Estates trailer park where the defendant lives, knows Sunday and recognized him as the driver in the near collision.

Apparently angry, she went to Sunday's home to confront him about the close call on the road.

Sunday came to the door and Piper noticed a 2-by-3-inch piece of duct tape on his nose just below his eyes

"She informed him of the piece of tape and explained that he became agitated saying several expletives while pulling the piece of tape off of his nose,"the affidavit said.

He apologized to Piper for losing his temper and even offered her a hug, police said.

Sunday then left his home and later wrecked on Route 422 near the Butler-Lawrence County line.

About that time, Trooper Chris Birckbichler of the Butler barracks was headed to Sunday's home when he got a call from Trooper Walter Bell of the New Castle barracks, who said he was at the crash site.

The defendant was still dressed in his gray hooded and purple tie-dyed shirt. Asearch found him with $430 in currency and a crack pipe.

Birckbichler later obtained a pair of warrants to search Sunday's vehicle and home in hope of uncovering other evidence — including duct tape — in the Butler County robbery.

District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned the defendant on charges of robbery, terroristic threats, driving under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sunday told Haggerty during arraignment that he has worked the past three or four years for a Cranberry Township moving company.

He remained reserved during the proceedings until breaking down and crying when Haggerty set bond.

"We don't have any money,"the teary defendant told the judge, referring to his family's finances.

Sunday's criminal record, according toButler County court records show prior convictions for theft and conspiracy.