LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – After expensive equipment and nearly $100,000 worth of copper went missing in Logan County earlier this week, the items are back where they belong.
On Monday night, West Virginia State Police Senior Trooper Tyler Adkins received a call about a breaking and entering complaint near Blair Mountain Highway and Kelly Hollow Road.
The thieves took off with a 2011 Bobcat Excavator, a welder, a 14-foot trailer owned by Tren Services Inc., and around $100,000 worth of copper that was owned by Arch Resources Inc. Investigators say the total loss was around $157,000.
Jeremy Weekley and Emmett Frazier are now named as suspects in the case.
“When you hear that you get excited cause you like cases like this to try and solve and get things back to people,” Adkins said. “It’s also stressful because you got a lot of work cut out for you, but that’s the case you want to get.”
Through security footage and witness interviews, Adkins found and arrested Weekley near the Spruce River Market in a vehicle on Tuesday night. Weekly is charged with conspiracy, destruction of property, breaking and entering, receiving or transferring stolen goods, and grand larceny. His bond is set at $50,000.
Along with the 2011 Bobcat Excavator that was found Tuesday, the rest of the equipment and copper were found early Wednesday.
“It felt really good to be able to solve a case like this,” Adkins said. “Of this much money and, you know, this much value of things. It felt really good a lot of hard work went into this. A lot of hours. A lot of people helped me out with this too.
Frazier is still on the run.
“When someone does something like that and they know what they are facing and they know they are caught,” Adkins said. “They could be willing to do a lot of things that puts us danger, as well as the public in danger.”
Adkins says the smallest information from the public can make the biggest difference. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 304-792-7200. Those with tips may remain anonymous.
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