LANCASTER TWP — It wasn’t easy but police arrested a suspected burglar accused of breaking into two homes on the same day.

Township police thought they had 22-year-old Jerry Higley of Prospect while answering a burglary alarm about 3:50 p.m. Monday at a home in the 100 block of Stone Church Road.

Moments earlier, police believe Higley had entered the house through a rear window and stolen a .22-caliber pistol, according to court documents.

Officer David Sitler stopped the suspect, who was a passenger in a pickup truck that was backing out of the home’s driveway. But when the officer tried to arrest Higley, he ran from the truck, through a field and into nearby woods, police said.

Sitler called for additional police help from neighboring departments. The driver of the truck, Garrett L. Lemmon, 20, of Prospect, was arrested without incident.

Zelienople police, who were called to assist, soon found Higley behind a house on Stone Church Road. But again, he got away, running into the woods, documents said.

Sitler, in turn, requested Evans City police and their K-9 officer to bolster the search.

Authorities suspect that while police searched for him, Higley broke into another house, about three miles east of the first home.

He allegedly stole money, coins, credit cards and gift cards from the second home in the 400 block of Whitestown Road in Lancaster Township, documents said.

Minutes after the second break-in, officers finally caught him on Whitestown Road.

Higley was arraigned on nine felony charges — two counts each of burglary, trespass, theft, receiving stolen property, and a lone count of escape.

Lemmon was arraigned on felony charges of burglary and receiving stolen property.

Higley and Lemmon were placed in the Butler County Prison on $25,000 bail and $5,000 bail, respectively.

Preliminary hearings for both defendants are set for 9 a.m. Tuesday at the office of District Judge Wayne Seibel in Evans City.