The Rockland Police Department arrested a Hope man on Tuesday morning after a local business reportedly lost over $3,000 in a break-in.
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At approximately 8:20 a.m., police responded to an unspecified business on Main Street for a report that it had been burglarized overnight.
Police determined, based on evidence recovered at the scene, that the suspect had prior knowledge of the business.
He was allegedly able to disable the business’s security system and access their safe with little difficulty. He reportedly made off with over $3,000 from the safe.
Rockland’s Criminal Investigation Division began interviewing witnesses, collecting physical evidence, and gathering video footage.
Evidence led law enforcement to interview Mark Hupper, 41, of Hope, and to execute a search of a Hope residence.
Detectives allegedly recovered nearly all the stolen money and took Hupper into custody.
He was charged with felony burglary, felony theft, felony aggravated criminal mischief, and violation of conditions of release.
Police confirmed that at the time of his arrest, he was on probation following a 2020 kidnapping conviction.
Reports from the time indicate that he was previously charged with kidnapping, domestic violence, and creating a police standoff after breaking into an apartment building in Rockland.
During that incident, he reportedly held a woman hostage and threatened to murder her if the police tried to enter the apartment, and threatened to shoot any officer who entered.
