Police say a 35-year-old Lancaster man took his mother’s car, ran out of gas in Minersville, stole a car there, crashed in Jim Thorpe and tried to break into residences with a gun.

Jim Thorpe Detective Lee Marzen detailed the case against Mark Hughes:

At around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sgt. Michelangelo Bokeko of the Jim Thorpe Police Department was dispatched for a motor vehicle crash on Lentz Trail.

He found a black Ford Escape with a Georgia license plate. The driver was not on scene.

Bokeko had the vehicle towed. A short time later, police were notified by the Carbon County Communications Center that Pennsylvania State Police at Frackville had entered the vehicle as a stolen vehicle, as it was stolen from Minersville Borough.

The same vehicle had been involved in a hit-and-run crash in Beaver Meadows at 2:11 a.m. Wednesday.

A resident on Chestnut Hill Road in Jim Thorpe called to say a man, determined to be Hughes, tried to enter two homes within walking distance of the crash.

While investigating the attempted burglaries as well as the stolen vehicle, police were dispatched back to Chestnut Hill Road, where it was reported Hughes was there with a handgun.

While police were on scene at Chestnut Hill Road, residents provided pictures of Hughes, who was wearing a dark-colored zip-up jacket, gray sweatpants, and white sneakers.

Described as having dark hair, a beard, glasses and a tattoo on his neck, Hughes walked down the dead end of Chestnut Hill Road and into the woods.

Marzen arrived and went into the woods looking for the man, following a set of footprints in the snow to a section of West Broadway.

Multiple police units were dispatched, along with Carbon County Sheriffs, Pennsylvania State Police, and the state helicopter. In addition to Jim Thorpe, Nesquehoning and Summit Hill police departments, Pennsylvania State Police, the Carbon County Sheriff’s office and the Carbon County District Attorney’s office assisted in the investigation. The search area consisted of about 3 square miles.

Police received various reports of sightings of Hughes throughout the Broadway and downtown Jim Thorpe area, and received information that he was spotted in the area of Highland Beverage.

A short time later, police were advised that Hughes was in Lehighton at the Dollar General on Route 209. He was taken into custody, and he had a small package of white crystal substance presumed to be methamphetamine.

Hughes was transported to the Jim Thorpe Police station by the Carbon County Detectives, where he was placed into the holding cell.

Upon questioning, Hughes admitted to all the allegations, and to taking his mother’s car at which point he ran out of gas in Minersville.

Hughes said he attempted to go into residences in Minersville, and eventually located keys inside of a Ford Escape. That’s the vehicle he drove to Jim Thorpe and crashed.

Hughes admitted to leaving the scene of the crash and attempted to break into several residences and vehicles, and said he did break into one residence, where he did take a black pellet gun.

He said he used forced to break in to the residence Chestnut Hill Road, where he stayed for a short while.

Hughes faces charges on two counts each of criminal trespass, receiving stolen property, and loitering and prowling at night time, and one count each of burglary, theft by unlawful taking, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unauthorized use of automobiles and other vehicles, and driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked.

Hughes is incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $100,000 straight bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing March 6 before District Judge Eric M. Schrantz of Jim Thorpe.

During this time, schools in the Jim Thorpe Area School District, as well as Carbon County office buildings were put on lockdown as a safety precaution, and residents were urged to remain indoors.

Amy Miller contributed to this report.