Story by Chris Lawrence
UPDATE 3:35 p.m. Thursday — Putnam County Sheriff Bobby Eggleton says the department has been contacted by numerous residents with information about two potential suspects.
Joseph Elmore and Chad McDonald, both of Charleston, have been named persons of interest. Eggleton said no charges have been filed against the two.
TEAYS VALLEY, W.Va. — Investigators with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department are looking for a group of thieves who have some specific items in mind when they go shopping.
“Obviously they have high taste. They’re stealing stuff like crab legs, wine, and steaks and then they’re shoving them out the back door. Retailers aren’t noticing them until it’s too late,” said Putnam County Sheriff Bobby Eggleton.
The thieves, four middle aged men, hit the Teays Valley Kroger twice in recent days. In the first heist they made off with a couple thousand dollars worth of high end wine. They returned a week later and rolled through the meat department making off with another sizeable haul of expensive merchandise.
“Wine and crab legs, that’s not normal. That’s not somebody trying to feed their family. I don’t know if they have somebody out there buying these things, but it’s certainly strange to be stealing those things from these places,” said the Sheriff.
The men on one occasion took the merchandise out the building’s back door and loaded it into a waiting car before speeding away.
Eggleton said they had one tip which led to a lead, but so far they haven’t confirmed it. He hoped there would be additional tips from the public to help crack the case.
“Give us a call and maybe we can get these people picked up. Maybe we can send them to jail for Christmas,” he said.