Braceville Township man kills himself after being informed of sex charges

Staff report

BRACEVILLE

Harold J. Roupe II, 36, of Braceville-Robinson Road died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday morning after Chief Deputy Thomas Stewart of the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office attempted to arrest him on two sex charges.

Stewart had been looking for a good opportunity to arrest Roupe and waited for him to leave his home Wednesday morning before attempting the arrest. Stewart followed Roupe along Braceville Robinson to state Route 82 about a mile north of Roupe’s house before stopping him at 7:07 a.m.

Stewart believes Roupe was driving to his job as a roofer.

Stewart informed Roupe of warrants for his arrest on two charges – rape and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Soon thereafter, Roupe fled, driving at high speed back to his home, Stewart said.

When Stewart got to Roupe’s house, Roupe was banging on a door in an attempt to get into the garage, then disappeared, Stewart said.

Stewart moved around the garage, looking to see if there were any other exits. He heard banging inside the garage, Stewart said.

A short time later, Stewart heard a shotgun blast and later found Roupe dead in the loft of the garage with a gunshot wound. A woman and a child were in the house.

If convicted of the two charges he faced, Roupe could have gotten a life prison sentence, Stewart said, declining to discuss the allegations against Roupe that led to the charges.

Roupe received a prison sentence of 11 months in October 2002 for a probation violation stemming from a 1999 theft conviction. He had been booked into the Trumbull County Jail numerous times since 1998 but nothing more recent than 2004.

None of his criminal cases from 1998 to 2004 involved sex charges. He had several traffic charges more recently than 2004.