Five charged in excavator theft
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SMITHVILLE -- Five people were arrested after attempting to steal an excavator from a worksite in Smithville and were also found with drugs.
John A. Estep, Joseph T. Cunningham, Jerry C. Jenkins II, Kristy Lynn Echard and a juvenile male were arrested after stealing the piece of equipment to try to retrieve a truck that was stuck in a creek with a flat tire, according to a criminal complaint filed with the Ritchie County Magistrate Court.
An officer responded to the worksite on Saturday following a call saying people were in the process of stealing an excavator. The caller said he was driving to work when he saw a Kobelco excavator that was operated by three people, the complaint said.
The excavator had been removed from a pipeline site which was about two miles away, according to the complaint. Three individuals fled when the caller tried to approach them and when he looked at the excavator, it looked like it had been hot-wired, the complaint said.
After following the tracks of the excavator, a truck was found about a quarter of a mile away from the job site, according to the complaint. The truck had a flat tire and was stuck in a creek and according to the complaint, it appeared the excavator was to be used to retrieve the truck.
Two individuals were hiding inside the truck before they were taken into custody, the complaint said.
After being detained, one of the individuals admitted to hot-wiring the car, the complaint said.
Over an ounce of methamphetamine was found in the truck, according to the Ritchie County Sheriff's Department.
"Larceny is a crime that is often very difficult to investigate however through the steadfast work of Deputy Justice and the assistance of Corporal Jackson a significant theft was avoided," the Ritchie County Sheriff's Department said.
Estep was being held at North Central Regional Jail on a $50,000 bond.