AM Stone | WVOW News
LOGAN A Logan man and woman facing charges for breaking and entering and grand larceny.
The break-in occurred at the Coalfield Jamboree theater in downtown Logan. According to a criminal complaint filed in Logan County Magistrate Court, Sgt. J.L. Sheppard of the Logan Police Department responded to the Main Street venue back on Sunday night, January twenty-eighth.
An individual with Coalfield advised police that 55-year-old Brian James Reed and 48-year-old Wendy Frye, both of Logan, “did break into the building and carry away several items including candy from the concession stand, valuable stereo equipment and several pieces of memorabilia. According to that criminal complaint, the value of the stolen items is believed to exceed $4,000.
The theater’s operator and promoter, Jackie Tomblin, says the Coalfield was left a mess with beer bottles and cigarette butts everywhere.
Tomblin said the memorabilia items included pictures of past acts that have performed at the Coalfield.
“We like to keep things like that and they signed them to the Coalfield Jamboree,” Tomblin said. “They also took some of our musical instruments, mics, cordless mics. A lot of stuff.”
Sgt. Sheppard, according to the complaint he authored, went to a Logan residence to speak with Frye and Reed and obtained verbal consent for a search. Sheppard “did observe a black trash bag filled with assorted sweets and candy bars.” According to the complaint, one of the defendants claimed to have been given the candy by another individual. Police compared expiration dates on the candy with the boxes left behind at the Coalfield and were a match.
On a return trip to the residence, Sgt. Sheppard says he “could hear the defendant and co-defendant engaged in a verbal dispute about the break-in at the Coalfield.” Sheppard wrote in the complaint he overheard Brian Reed state he would never had broke into the building if Wendy Frye had not talked him into it.”
Moreover, Sheppard said he heard the duo talking about hiding items behind their apartment building with other stolen items from the Coalfield. Police collected alleged stolen items from the back of the building. Those items included a coffee maker and the previously mentioned bag of candy.
According to the complaint, police obtained a video statement from the two defendants. Frye and Reed both admitted to breaking in the Coalfield by prying open the front doors with a screw driver. Defendant’s also admitted, according to police, to giving stolen items to a neighbor.
Jackie Tomblin and her late husband, Tom Rose, restored the theater back in the nineties. The theater dates back to the thirties.
Clean-up has been underway as the Coalfield Jamboree will host a bluegrass concert on March thirtieth.
PHOTO | SWRJA & WVOW File Photo