SPRINGFIELD TWP, Mercer County — What do you do with more than 18 grand worth of stolen hand lotion and body cream?

You get rid of it. That’s what a Butler County man and his alleged criminal accomplice told state police.

The suspected thieves, believing they had made off with boxes of electronics commandeered earlier this month from Premium Outlets in Springfield Township, were disappointed when they opened their cache and instead found the feminine accoutrements.

The soap, balm, gels and whatnots were not what they expected. They deemed it “worthless,” according to investigators

So they threw it away, literally, or burned it.

Police on Tuesday charged Jeffrey A. Naper Jr., 20, of Slippery Rock Township and Sean M. Bailey, 18, of Volant with felony theft and other charges.

A third suspect, a 17-year-old Volant boy, faces similar charges in juvenile court.

Police allege that trio March 2 teamed up with bolt cutters to break into a U-Haul truck parked at the outlet mall.

They got into the truck and unloaded the unknown contents packed in boxes. They used two vehicles in their getaway.

It was only after they got back to Naper’s apartment and opened the boxes they learned what they had stolen, police said.

Following his arrest March 11, Naper admitted they thought the unmarked boxes contained electronics or valuable clothing. The lotions, creams and other items, according to court documents, were “of little value to them.”

Bailey corroborated Naper’s account in his interview with investigators, police said. He described the stolen merchandise — valued at $18,774 — as “worthless.”

The disappointed trio drove back to the boy’s home. While traveling there, the boy allegedly threw boxes with the items still inside out the passenger side window along Brent Road.

They later burned the remaining boxes of goods in woods near the youth’s home, police said.

Investigators did find the burn pile, documents said.

Naper and Bailey were arraigned on felony charges of theft and receiving stolen property, a misdemeanor charge of theft from a vehicle and a summary charge of criminal mischief.

They were both released on $5,000 unsecured bail following arraignment.

The boy was turned over to Mercer County juvenile authorities.