CRANBERRY TWP — Having active warrants for his arrest, a Pittsburgh man failed to appear for his preliminary hearing Friday.

A hearing was conducted without Travon Loveings, 33, who is charged with felony drug sales, retail theft and possessing stolen property. Loveings is accused of trying to steal from a Walmart store, fleeing from the store, and then being found with drugs.

After being arrested and charged Oct. 31, Loveings has been free since posting $100,000 bond.

According to court records, the preliminary hearing has been continued four times before Friday’s decision. Court records also show a warrant has been issued for Loveings’ arrest connected with charges filed by Homestead police Feb. 10, including felony aggravated assault, retail theft and fleeing from police.

After hearing testimony from two officers and a Walmart employee, District Judge David Kovach moved forward all charges against Loveings in the Butler County case.

Walmart employee Christopher Harvey said he saw Loveings in the Cranberry Township store Oct. 31. He said Loveings had a visible face tattoo and was wearing white sweat pants, a tie-dye hoodie, and a black and gold face mask.

“He had a large cart,” Harvey said. “He had some Walmart bags, and he was putting items in them.”

Harvey said after bagging the items, Loveings passed the registers without paying. Harvey said he waited by the doors.

“When I introduced myself, he took off running,” Harvey said.

After a call to police was made, Cranberry Township patrolman Michael Weleski said he moved toward the area and saw a driver roll down his window and point at a white sedan.

Weleski said when he pulled over the vehicle he found the man matched the description, both with face tattoo and clothing, to the retail theft report.

“He did admit he had been in Walmart,” Weleski said.

Weleski said he arrested Loveings for the retail theft, during which time he found a bundle of heroin, which is 10 stamp bags, in the man’s pocket. Once at the station, Loveings was searched more thoroughly.

“A plastic shopping bag was discovered in his crotch area,” Loveings said.

Weleski said about four bricks of heroin, or 200 stamp bags, were in the bag, and about $450 in cash was found in Loveings’ pockets.

“That would be consistent with someone who was dealing heroin,” Weleski said.

Public defender Maura Palumbi made no argument on her missing client’s behalf, and she did not comment following the hearing.

Loveings is scheduled for formal arraignment May 3 in Butler County Common Pleas Court.