FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. — A Fayette County woman returned home from work to find a neighbor hiding inside her garage and apparently trying to jump-start an ATV, according to a criminal complaint.
A deputy is seeking an arrest warrant for Eligah Shane Johnson in connection with the September 23 incident on Gauley River Road.
Deputy N. W. Clutter responded around 3 a.m. after Fayette County 911 received a report of a burglary approximately 20 minutes earlier.
The homeowner told the deputy she discovered a neighbor she knew as “Eli” inside her garage after noticing that its normally closed door had been opened.
According to the complaint, the woman saw the man attempting to hide behind an ATV. She said he was holding a battery and trying to jump-start the vehicle.
The woman and her boyfriend confronted the man and briefly spoke with him before he fled on foot, the complaint states.
Clutter reported finding the garage doors open and a red Honda ATV with its seat removed, exposing the battery. Jumper cables were connected to the ATV’s battery, which the deputy said was consistent with an attempt to start the vehicle and drive it away.
The witnesses described the man as having a thin build and blond hair and appearing to be in his 20s. Through the investigation and discussions with officers familiar with the area, Clutter identified Johnson as a person matching that description, according to the complaint.
On October 5, Clutter returned to the neighborhood for a separate report of a possible domestic incident involving Johnson.
The deputy reported hearing footsteps and crashing sounds from inside the residence while attempting to contact the occupants. A woman who eventually answered the door initially denied anyone had fled but later acknowledged Johnson had run, according to the complaint.
Clutter located Johnson in woods behind the residence and detained him.
While another deputy spoke with Johnson, Clutter contacted the homeowner from the September incident. According to the complaint, she saw Johnson and positively identified him as the person she had found inside her garage attempting to start the ATV.
Clutter requested an arrest warrant under West Virginia Code § 61-3-12 in connection with the alleged garage break-in.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
