BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Beckley man is facing criminal charges after police say he took a vehicle without permission, crashed through a residential fence, and abandoned the car in a homeowner’s backyard.
According to the Beckley Police Department, officers responded on June 20 to a report of a vehicle that had left the roadway and come to rest in the backyard of a home.
Emergency dispatchers advised that the homeowner had discovered an unoccupied vehicle on her property after it apparently crashed through a wooden fence.
When officers arrived, they found a red Hyundai parked in the backyard. Investigators observed extensive damage to the yard and fence, including several broken fence posts and boards, consistent with the vehicle driving through the barrier.
The homeowner told police she was outside when a homeless man approached her and asked whether anyone was inside the vehicle. She then discovered the abandoned car in her backyard. She estimated the damage to her property at approximately $586.
While investigating the crash, officers recognized the vehicle from an earlier encounter involving William Delaney.
According to police, Delaney had spoken briefly with officers outside the Beckley Police Department earlier that day before driving away toward Neville Street.
Investigators later contacted the vehicle’s registered owner, who told police Delaney had been acting strangely throughout the morning. She reported that Delaney took her vehicle without permission and later returned without it. Police informed her the vehicle had been recovered and towed from the crash scene.
Based on the investigation, officers are seeking charges against Delaney for unauthorized use of a vehicle (joyriding) and leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage.
The incident occurred in Beckley, Raleigh County.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
