A Butler County man has been charged with possession of a controlled substance and burglary after allegedly breaking into a home in the Mount Zion Community and stealing Lortab.

According to Butler County Sheriff Kenny Harden, Kenneth Holland, 23, was taken into custody Tuesday after breaking into a home on Mossy Oak Road early Monday morning.

“He broke into the house around 1 a.m.,” Harden said. “The owner of the house was in bed at the time. He woke up and struck the suspect with his walking stick a couple of times and the suspect fled out of the house with the Lortab.”

Harden said the victim knew the suspect, who managed to elude authorities on Monday before being taken into custody on Tuesday.

Harden said Holland was out on probation at the time of the break in.

“This is a good example of how releasing these people early doesn’t work,” Harden said. “If this prison reform bill passes, we’re going to see a lot more cases like this.”

The proposed bill, aimed at solving the issue of overcrowding in the state’s prisons, would reduce penalties for some nonviolent property and drug crimes and expand and refine parole, probation and community corrections programs intended to divert offenders from prison.

“If they make these changes, we’ll know these guys on a first-name basis,” Harden said.