SKOWHEGAN — A Skowhegan man who was wanted by police as a suspect in a burglary this past summer was arrested Monday on a domestic violence assault charge.
Michael A. Coppa, 25, was also wanted on warrants for violating the conditions of his release as part of the Somerset County Community Corrections Program, Skowhegan Police Chief Ted Blais said.
Coppa was arrested at an apartment house at 39 Russell Road after an alleged attack on a woman there. An ambulance was sent to the scene, but the woman was not taken to the hospital.
Blais said Coppa is a suspect in a burglary on Cedar Street in Skowhegan where extensive damage was done breaking into a residence.
“We’ve been looking for him for a while,” Blais said. “He was on the county program. He is in violation of that. He has hanging over his head charges of a violation of a protection order, a theft and unlawful possession of drugs. He was in violation of those program guidelines.”
“This is good because he has been in violation for a while,” Blais said. “I’m glad we caught him.”
Police expect to charge Coppa in the burglary soon, Blais said.
Reserve Corrections Officer Chris Hall said Coppa enrolled in the community corrections program Aug. 27.
Sometime after that, he dropped out of sight.
The Somerset County Community Corrections Program is a post-conviction and pre-trial home release service allowed by a judge. Those in the program must check in twice weekly in person and check in by telephone every night and can be tested for drugs. If the contract they make to enter the program is violated, it is revoked and the person is subject to arrest and jail time, Lancaster said.
Coppa was in court in August, when he was convicted of drug possession and violating a protection order. He spent two days of a 180-day suspended sentence in jail on those charges, was ordered to pay $700 in fines and placed on administrative release for one year, or additional supervision as part of the community corrections program.
He was also facing an assault charge dating to last August and another assault charge from April 2013, for which he served a couple days in jail. Coppa also has drug trafficking convictions in 2012 and 2009, according to newspaper archives.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter: @Doug_Harlow
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