CRANBERRY TWP — A shoplifter turned robber thought he made a clean getaway Thursday. He thought wrong.

Several hours after he allegedly stole three boxes of teeth-whitening strips from the Walmart in Cranberry Township, threatening to cut with a knife a store employee who tried to stop him, James W. Imhof, 24, of Pittsburgh was behind bars.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton later arraigned Imhof on charges of robbery, retail theft and simple assault. He is in the Butler County Prison on $25,000 bail.

Cranberry police suspect Imhof about 12:15 p.m. walked into the Walmart on Route 19 and headed for the health and beauty section.

He was seen allegedly taking three boxes of Crest Whitestrips from the shelf and placing them in his jacket, according to court documents.

The items aren’t cheap. Each box costs $60, police noted.

Employee Robert Schubring confronted Imhof as he was about to leave the store. But when Schubring told Imhof to return the merchandise, the suspect replied, “Back off or I’m going to cut you,” a police affidavit said.

Imhof went out the door and drove away. No injuries were reported.

However, his escape was short lived. Later that day, Ross Township police arrested him. When officers nabbed Imhof, he still had the teeth-whitening strips as well as a large folding knife, documents said.