A 39-year-old man is facing criminal charges after authorities say he trespassed into the Tamaqua police chief’s home the night of May 22.
Jarrod Bowman, who police say is homeless and has been living in Tamaqua, is charged with a felony count of criminal trespass and a misdemeanor count of defiant trespass.
According to an affidavit, Tamaqua police officer Karl Harig was on duty received a report of a “suspicious male,” wearing a black hoodie and jeans, who was peering into yards in the area of N. Lincoln Street.
Upon arriving on the scene, alongside a Rush Twp. unit, police observed a man who fit the description leaving the nearby home of Tamaqua Police Chief Michael Hobbs. Harig questioned the man about whether he had been speaking with Hobbs, to which he replied “yes,” leading Harig to dismiss him.
Then, police allegedly observed Bowman walk back to Hobbs’ home and enter through the rear door. Harig called Hobbs to ask whether he had been speaking to Bowman, to which he said he had not. At that point, Harig informed the chief that Bowman had entered his home.
Harig then walked to the house himself, finding Hobbs shouting and holding Bowman to the ground to be handcuffed.
Bowman was arraigned on May 22 with bail set at $25,000. Unable to post, he is being held in Schuylkill County Prison.
A preliminary hearing for Bowman has been scheduled for June 23 before Magisterial District Judge Stephen Bayer.