Hilltown Township Police. Photo by James Short.
A Hatboro man is facing felony charges after police said he stole thousands of dollars in tools and batteries from a Home Depot in Hilltown Township and later attempted to sell some of the items online.
Matthew Sawick, 33, of the 400 block of Bensal Road, is charged with felony retail theft and receiving stolen property, along with a summary charge of driving with a suspended license, according to a criminal complaint filed by Hilltown Township Police.
Police said the incident occurred the morning of March 25 at the Home Depot along Route 113 in Hilltown. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed Sawick arriving in a blue Chevrolet TrailBlazer around 8:49 a.m. and entering the store about 40 minutes later, where he remained for nearly an hour, police said.
During that time, he allegedly gathered Milwaukee-brand tools and batteries and loaded them into a wheeled tote bag before running out of the store without paying at about 10:21 a.m.
Store personnel estimated the value of the stolen merchandise at $3,680, police said.
A bystander reportedly photographed the suspect’s vehicle as he fled, providing police with a partial license plate that initially did not match the vehicle description.
Investigators later identified a similar plate, noting that a zero and an eight can appear similar on Pennsylvania plates, which led them to a vehicle registered to Sawick, according to the complaint.
Police said the driver’s license photo associated with Sawick matched the individual seen in store surveillance.
Investigators also alleged that Sawick listed stolen Milwaukee batteries for sale on Facebook Marketplace the same day as the theft and posted photos of himself wearing clothing consistent with the suspect captured on video.
According to the affidavit, a store loss prevention employee told police the suspect was familiar and had allegedly committed thefts at another Home Depot location in Cheltenham in the past. Hilltown officers shared information with Cheltenham police as part of the investigation.
In addition to the theft-related charges, police said Sawick was driving despite having a suspended license at the time of the incident.
Sawick is free on $100,000 unsecured bail ahead of an April 14 preliminary hearing.
According to court records, he is also awaiting a preliminary hearing April 27 in Delaware County, stemming from a felony retail theft arrest in Ridley Township.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
