RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A woman from Raleigh County has been charged with felony grand larceny following the reported theft of three air conditioning units valued at over $9,000.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Raleigh County Magistrate Court, Augusta Ardella Chapman was identified as a suspect after authorities tracked a stolen air conditioning unit using an Apple AirTag device.
The units were reported stolen between April 1 and 3, 2025.
Cpl. R. Robinson of the West Virginia State Police was dispatched on April 3, 2025, after the victim reported that two AC condenser units had been stolen from his business.
In an attempt to prevent further thefts, the victim had placed an AirTag on the third unit.
The tracking device led police to an address where they observed a red pickup truck loaded with scrap metal.
Inside the vehicle were a man and a woman later identified as the driver and Augusta Chapman, the passenger.
When confronted, the two allegedly admitted to taking the units from a nearby apartment building, stating they had been “scrapping metal all over” the area.
Chapman reportedly told the officer that they had scrapped metal from a building near the location where the theft occurred.
Police recovered parts of the air conditioning unit, including pieces in the back of the truck, and a piece of a gutter also believed to be stolen.
When the suspects realized law enforcement was at the scene, they allegedly fled on foot, leaving the vehicle behind. The total cost of the three stolen units is estimated at $9,099.
Chapman was arrested and charged with grand larceny and destruction of property. She is currently at Southern Regional Jail on a $50,000 bond.
