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ELKINS -- An area man is behind bars after allegedly stealing a number of items from an area garage.
Christopher George Lyle, 33, of Junior, is charged with one felony count of breaking and entering, one felony count of grand larceny and one misdemeanor count of receiving or transferring stolen goods. He is housed at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $30,000 cash or surety bond set by Randolph County Magistrate Ben Shepler.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Randolph County Magistrate Court, at approximately 6:41 p.m. on Saturday, Deputies S.D. Kyle and E.B. Carr, both of the Randolph County Sheriff's Office, were dispatched to Valley Bend in regards to stolen property.
Once on scene, the alleged victim told the officers that someone had broken into his garage and stole his Honda ATV, two Stihl leaf blowers, a Stihl chainsaw, a battery charger, a Stihl weedeater and a winch. He valued the items at approximately $5,000.
The alleged victim then said he had contacted Lyle who admitted to "taking the belongings as a joke."
Lyle provided officers with a written statement saying he had borrowed the items to clear brush but used what was later found to be a fictitious name and date of birth.
When questioned about the name and date of birth, Lyle said he has used his father's information in an attempt to avoid going to jail. He added he had not been given permission to use the items, the complaint states.
Lyle told officers that the items were a couple miles away in the woods where he had put them.
Lyle was getting items out of the back of a vehicle while officers were on scene and Kyle noticed a Stihl chainsaw in the back of the car. When asked who it belonged to, Lyle said it was his father's that he was borrowing.
Kyle contacted Randolph County 911 Communications and gave them the serial number of the weedeater which came back as stolen.
After searching the rest of the vehicle, officers also found the winch, which was covered in clothing and matched the description of the stolen property.
The alleged victim supplied officers with the cord that was with the winch when he purchased it.
Officers later traveled to Knapp Hollow Road where they found the remainder of the stolen items concealed in the woods, the complaint states.
Other arrests recorded in Randolph County:
∫ Mark Jay Courtney, 37, of Elkins, is charged with one felony count of nighttime burglary. He is housed at TVRJ on a $15,000 cash or surety bond, set by Shepler.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Randolph County Magistrate Court, on Aug. 24, Senior Patrolman T.H. Foster, of the Elkins Police Department, was dispatched to a first-floor apartment at 220 Second St., in Elkins, regarding items being stolen.
Upon arrival, Foster met with the alleged victim, who told him that while he was in jail, a black and silver television stand, two flat-screen televisions, a CD/DVD player, several cooking utensils, clothing, his checkbook, a knife and coin collection, a carpet shampooer and two vacuum cleaners, among other items, were stolen from his apartment, the complaint states.
While returning to his police cruiser, Foster was approached by a female who said the items belonging to the alleged victim had been taken to the third floor of the apartment complex and split between two apartments.
She added the items were taken by Lora Lynn McCauley, 38, of Elkins and Courtney. She also described the items she had witnessed McCauley taking, which matched the items described by the alleged victim, police said.
The female told Foster that McCauley and Courtney had gone into the alleged victim's apartment several times between Aug. 13 and Aug. 16 to take the items, according to the complaint.
McCauley was arrested on Sept. 7 and charged with one felony count of nighttime burglary.