A Middletown man is facing 26 felony charges in connection with a rash of smash and grab break-ins throughout Middletown and Warren and Hamilton counties.

David R. Williams, 44, of the 3300 block of Roosevelt Boulevard in Middletown, was indicted Wednesday by a Butler County grand jury on 26 counts of breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, and one charge of attempted breaking and entering, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Williams was arrested Dec. 16 shortly after committing a crime in Hamilton County. Detectives in Middletown and Warren County say he is responsible for smashing out windows of closed restaurants and small stores with a rock or brick then grabbing cash. According to the indictment, the crimes occurred between Dec. 3 and Dec. 16

Janet Ellis, 18, of the same Middletown address, was arrested with Williams in December and charged with nine counts of breaking and entering. Ellis entered a guilty plea to one breaking and entering charge earlier this month. The remaining charges were dropped in exchange for her cooperation with police in the Williams case, according to court documents. She has been released on bond.

Middletown Detective Ken Rogers said Williams has a criminal record and was wanted in Georgia for similar crimes.

“He’s the modern day version of Ernest T. Bass,” Rogers said, referencing the rock wielding character on “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Rogers said the duo indicated they were stealing to pay bills.

Williams is being held in the Butler County Jail on a $180,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 21 in Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth’s courtroom.