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MILL HALL -- State police at Lamar arrested a man who allegedly broke into a local business in Mill Hall earlier this month.
The theft occurred on Aug. 5 at about 5:15 a.m., where a thin male approximately 5 feet and 10 inches tall, dressed in work boots, skinny style dark pants, brown tactical gloves, a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and tied and a pirate themed skull mask, entered The 64 Beer Store through an unlocked window. The store was closed and unoccupied at the time.
According to police, while inside the store, the man -- later identified as a 43-year-old Lock Haven resident -- took cash. The individual’s name was not included in the police report.
The man is also accused of entering Tressler's Towing while it was unoccupied and taking $40 in cash. Police noted a firearm was unable to be located on the property by the victim following the theft.
Footage from both Tressler's Towing and the beer store confirmed a similar individual committed the break-in, police said, with work boot prints found at both locations.
Through its investigation, police determined the mask used in both burglaries was sold only by a chain of discount stores.
Police spoke with local store associates in Beech Creek, Lock Haven and Lamar regarding possible purchases of these masks.
According to police, the Lock Haven location recorded one purchase of this mask prior to the burglaries taking place. A store associate was able to provide video footage of the sale along with a name associated on the credit card used for the purchase, police said.
The video was compared to the arrestee's driver's license photo which positively identified him as the purchaser, police said.
The video also showed the arrestee being the same height, weight and build as the suspect involved in the burglaries. Police further noted the arrestee "showed a specific gait" which was seen on the camera footage at the beer store.
After obtaining a warrant from District Judge Keith Kibler, police conducted a search of the arrestee's home on Aug. 11 at 6:22 p.m.
The warrant yielded a pair of Brahma work boots with a sole pattern that closely matched those found at the businesses, Mechanix tactical gloves, a pirate themed skull mask, a black hooded sweatshirt with the string still tied, three smart phones, a pry tool with an orange handle, an empty bank bag belonging to the 64 Beer Store and one bank bag filled with items from the store, police said.
The arrestee was interviewed and then transported to Clinton County Correctional Facility to await arraignment, police said.
Police said an investigation to link the arrestee's involvement in other commercial burglaries in the Porter Township area is currently underway.
"Investigatory efforts for this case included patrol members, forensics and criminal investigators working in unison to articulate the arrest," the police report said.