A Butler man accused of robbing two gas stations was arrested Thursday in Sharon after Mercer County police requested the public’s help in identifying him.

Dustin L. Hilliard, 38, of Butler, was arrested after his vehicle was identified from surveillance footage. He is being held in Mercer County Prison.

Mercer State Police charged Hilliard with felony robbery, two counts of misdemeanor theft and simple assault after he allegedly entered the Kwik Fill gas station at 1914 Leesburg Grove City Road around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and passed a note to the cashier demanding $150.

“The note stated something to the effect of ‘I don’t want no problems,’” the investigating officer said in the complaint. “(The cashier) observed that (Hilliard) had something in his right hand that was wrapped by a cloth that he believed to be a firearm.”

Following the incident, Mercer State Police released photos of a silver Ford Fusion from store surveillance footage, asking members of the public if they could identify the owner.

On the day of his arrest, Hilliard is alleged to have committed a second robbery at Rite Aid, 700 Sharon New Castle Road. Police said he approached the counter and handed the cashier a note that said, “don’t panic just need money out of the register don’t want to hurt anyone,” according to police documents.

According to documents, the cashier gave Hilliard $1,209 and said Hilliard verbally repeated that he didn’t want to hurt anyone.

“The whole time Hilliard is interacting with (the cashier), Hilliard has his right hand in his right pocket in a manner to make it seem like he has a weapon,” said the investigating officer on reviewing the surveillance footage.

Several witnesses identified Hilliard’s vehicle at the scene of both crimes based on the the released photos, police said. Hermitage and Sharon City police departments located the vehicle and Hilliard near Stambaugh Avenue in Sharon on Thursday and arrested him on the aforementioned charges.

At the time of arrest, Hilliard had $620 in his pocket as well as the clothes he allegedly wore during the Rite Aid robbery.

Hilliard is scheduled to appear before District Judge Mary Ann Odem and District Judge Daniel W. Davis of Mercer County for preliminary hearings July 21.