OCEANA, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A Wyoming County man is facing multiple charges after police linked him to the theft of potting soil from a local supermarket and a separate vehicle break-in using evidence he allegedly left behind.
According to the Oceana Police Department, officers were contacted on June 25 by the manager of Goodson’s Supermarket, who reported that surveillance footage showed two men stealing potting soil from outside the business during the early morning hours.
Police said security video captured a white dual-wheel pickup truck with Michigan license plates pulling up to the front of the store at approximately 3:22 a.m. Two men allegedly exited the truck, loaded 10 bags of potting soil into the vehicle, and drove away.
The stolen merchandise was valued at $98.91.
During the investigation, officers, with assistance from Oceana Police Chief Tyler Dunigan, identified the suspects as Shawn Sterling Cline and Matthew Rupert Martin.
According to investigators, Martin later admitted that he and Cline stole the potting soil and transported it to a residence in Lynco.
Chief Dunigan and the co-defendant then traveled to the residence, where officers recovered nine of the 10 stolen bags of potting soil.
The investigation also connected Cline to an unrelated vehicle break-in reported earlier in the month.
According to police, on June 1, a woman reported that someone had entered her vehicle while it was parked in Oceana. The suspect allegedly rummaged through the center console, glove compartment, and storage compartments before stealing a pair of glasses and a red-and-black window scraper valued at approximately $20.
Investigators said the suspect left behind a white AT&T cellphone inside the vehicle.
Earlier that same morning, an officer reported seeing Cline carrying a red-and-black window scraper matching the description of the stolen item.
On June 23, officers encountered Cline in the parking lot of Pizza Hut in Oceana and showed him the cellphone recovered from the victim’s vehicle.
According to the criminal complaint, Cline examined the phone, recognized the cracked screen, and admitted it belonged to him.
Cline is facing charges in connection with both the supermarket theft and the vehicle break-in.
The charges are allegations, and Cline is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
