AUSTINTOWN — A Warren man is in the Mahoning County jail, accused of punching an employee at Home Depot in Austintown while trying to steal more than $400 of merchandise on Monday.

Nicholas J. Lee, 38, 3004 Lancer Court, Warren is being held on a charge of robbery, according to jail records.

Home Depot loss prevention told police Lee tried to walk out of the store with more than $400 of wiring. When an employee asked Lee for a receipt, Lee punched him in the forehead and left, according to a police report.

The incident was caught on camera and police posted photo stills on the Austintown police Facebook page. Later that night, a concerned citizen contracted the department and identified Lee.

Police arrested Lee at his residence without incident. When informed he was being charged with robbery, Lee said to police: “How is it a robbery, it should only be assault and theft,” according to the report.

Lee told police he had already used the stolen items to finish a job for a woman who hired him and that he was unsure if he would be able to produce a receipt.

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