The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

October 16, 2006

Daniels man arrested in robbery near Sam’s Club

By Michelle James

A concerned citizen helped enable police to arrest the person believed responsible for a Monday morning robbery in the Sam’s Club parking lot.

Beckley Police Detective Cpl. Frank Priddy said a 57-year-old Crab Orchard female was walking to the store from her vehicle at 10 a.m. when she said she noticed a green Toyota truck, driven by Kevin B. Meadows, 28, of Daniels, pull up and park in a no-parking area.

Priddy said Meadows got out of the truck and grabbed the woman’s purse from behind.

Jane Harless, Priddy said, grasped on to her purse and was pulled, head-first, onto the asphalt, where he said she was dragged for about 3 feet before losing her grip.

Meadows, Priddy said, then jumped back into the truck, fled the parking lot and headed toward the Woodcrest area, where a homeowner contacted police about 15 minutes later after finding the purse and all its contents, minus cash, in his yard.

At about the same time, Priddy said a man driving in the Woodcrest area overheard the incident, along with Meadows’ license plate number as they were reported on the scanner and called to inform police Meadows was actually traveling in front of him.

The man, Priddy said, followed Meadows’ truck and let police know his exact location until officers were able to apprehend him at the corner of North Vance Drive and Johnstown Road.

“It worked out real well,” Priddy said.

Meadows was arrested and, after confessing said Priddy, was taken to the Raleigh County Magistrate Court where he was arraigned on one count of first degree robbery and remanded to Southern Regional Jail on $25,000 bond.

Harless, Priddy said, received multiple cuts and bruises on her hands, arms and knees as a result of the struggle but did not receive medical attention.

In addition to Priddy, the incident was investigated by Lt. Eric Rogers, patrolmen Johnny Walls and Jamie Wilhite and Capt. Tomi Peck.

— E-mail: mjames@register-herald.com

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