SOUTH CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Boone County man is facing a felony charge after allegedly stealing a vehicle from a church parking lot and being tracked down by police using the car’s built-in GPS system.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court, officers were dispatched at approximately 10:31 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, 2025, to the Southridge Church of God, located at 100 Eagle Way in South Charleston, following a report of a stolen vehicle.
The victim told police that their 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, valued at $46,000, had been taken while they were inside the church.
Authorities quickly contacted Subaru and used the car’s GPS system to track its location.
West Virginia State Police located the vehicle shortly after in Raleigh County and conducted a traffic stop.
The driver was identified as a 21-year-old Ronald Estep of Foster.
Investigators later reviewed video surveillance footage from the church parking lot and said Estep can be positively identified as the individual who stole the vehicle.
Estep has been charged with grand larceny. He is currently at Southern Regional Jail.
