BOONE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A stolen four-wheeler was recovered early Sunday morning, June 15, following a police investigation that led troopers to a residence in the Comfort area of Boone County.
According to the West Virginia State Police, Trooper R.K. Bower responded to a call from Boone County 911 at approximately 9:42 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, regarding a theft at a residence on Coal River Road. The victim provided security camera footage showing two men — Joseph “Joey” Workman and Matthew Hawkins — trespassing on the property and stealing a green Honda Rancher 350, valued at approximately $1,340.
The footage reportedly shows both suspects pushing the four-wheeler across a parking lot before disappearing from view. One of the suspects also allegedly damaged a security camera to avoid identification.
Later, the victim received a tip that the stolen ATV was at a residence on Toney’s Branch Road. Troopers Bower and M.D. Veres responded to that location around 1:28 a.m. Sunday and found the four-wheeler in the front yard. The current possessor told officers he had purchased it earlier that evening for $350 and provided a bill of sale signed by the accused.
Officers then tracked Joseph Workman to a residence on Edens Lane. When troopers arrived, Workman refused to answer the door. After speaking with his father, officers found the suspect hiding behind a curtain in a bedroom.
Workman was taken into custody at approximately 2:40 a.m. and transported to the West Virginia State Police Madison Detachment for processing. He was later booked into Southwestern Regional Jail, where he awaits arraignment.
Authorities have not confirmed charges for Hawkins at this time, but the investigation remains ongoing.
