Felony charges filed in construction vehicle theft

WAVERLY — Two men were taken into custody Aug. 29 following the theft of a Caterpillar Skid Steer in Pike County, Sheriff Charles Reader reported this week.

According to the sheriff, his office received a complaint at 11:16 p.m. Aug. 29 of someone possibly stealing the construction vehicle from the 2500 block of Jasper Road. One of those calling in the complaint followed the suspects and continued to update Pike County dispatchers on their location until deputies could arrive.

Deputies coming from several areas of the county conducted a felony traffic stop on the vehicle at the corner of Ohio 124 and Morgans Fork Road and took Daniel Crabtree, of Lucasville, and Kevin Wilburn, of Piketon, into custody. Deputies later learned that the U-Haul trailer used to load the stolen skid steer had also been stolen from the 300 block of West Emmitt Avenue in Waverly earlier and that the skid steer belonged to Foil Construction.

Both men were charged with two counts of felony theft, and Wilburn had an active warrant in Pike County for a probation violation on an original failure to appear on a possession of drug abuse instruments charge. Both were arraigned on the theft charges Aug. 31 and are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 9.