BUTLER TWP — A Butler man has been charged in two separate retail theft cases after allegedly stealing electronics in an effort to satisfy his crack cocaine habit.

Christopher A. Gratzinger, 30, of East Brady Street, is facing charges of receiving stolen property, attempted theft by deception and retail theft in connection with the cases — one of which occurred on July 19, when he allegedly stole a laptop computer from the vehicle of a Chicora woman. The second occurred a day later, on July 20, when Gratzinger was caught on camera wheeling a 40-inch television out of Walmart in Butler Township without paying for it.

In court documents township police say that Gratzinger admitted to both thefts when he was questioned by officers.

In the Walmart theft, police say, Gratzinger told officers that he later traded the television to “the crack man (named) D or JR,” on Butler’s south side.

After stealing the Chicora woman’s computer from her vehicle on July 19, Gratzinger told police, he gave the computer to his girlfriend, who later tried to sell it at the Digital Technologies store at Greater Butler Mart.

That attempt raised the suspicions of a store employee, who managed to determine who the computer’s owner was and subsequently contacted police to report that someone was trying to sell him stolen merchandise.

Gratzinger’s girlfriend, identified in court documents as Lindsay N. Maples, 29, of Butler, has also been charged with receiving stolen property and attempted theft by deception, according to court filings.