Shenandoah County

Shenandoah County sheriff’s deputies arrested two men they believe to be connected with several larcenies committed in the New Market area in November.

 

Christopher Lee Campbell, 26, of Buena Vista, and Joshua Towles, 26, of Amherst, were arrested Nov. 19 and both charged with grand larceny.

 

Lt. Tom Shelton with the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office said police received a call on Nov. 15 reporting about $1,000 in power tools stolen from a truck parked outside Wood Chapel Church on Splinters Lane.

 

The victim of the theft told police he had seen a Lewis Tree Service truck in the area. Shelton said the business is a New York-based subcontractor that was in the area to service power lines for Dominion Power.

 

The following day, police received a call from an employee with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. He reported two men trespassing on state property riding a four-wheeler.

 

When deputies arrived, the two men involved were found to be employees of Lewis Tree Service.

 

After interviewing the men and collecting additional evidence, police found the four-wheeler had been reported stolen from a residence on Moreland Gap Road.

 

“That was sort of our clue that they were involved with the first larceny,” Shelton said.

 

“We found they had also broken into the church itself as well as a shed [on the same property] and stole some power equipment,” added Shelton, who estimated the total value of the equipment recovered was almost $5,000.

 

The men also are alleged to have broken into a vehicle in the parking lot of the Quality Inn in New Market, he said.

 

Shelton said additional charges could be pending for Campbell and Towles.

 

“We’ve had some evidence that there were possibly more break-ins,” he said.

 

Towles remains in custody at Shenandoah County Jail, while Campbell was released on a $10,000 secured bond.

 

Both men are scheduled to appear in Shenandoah County General District Court on Dec. 14.

 

Contact Kaitlin Mayhew at 574-6290 or kmayhew@dnronline.com