Theft

Maryland State Police charged a Cumberland, Md., man with theft Friday after he was found driving a stolen West Virginia vehicle following a brief chase. Christopher Lee Coleman Sr., 39, was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, rogue and vagabond, malicious destruction of property and numerous traffic charges, Sgt. Dave Keller said. Coleman was driving a 1992 green Jeep Cherokee containing alleged burglary tools when troopers stopped him in Frederick, Keller said. The vehicle, which had a valid West Virginia registration, had been last seen in Hancock before troopers located it driving east at Braddock Mountain at about 2:50 p.m., he said.

LeMASTERS, Pa. - Pennsylvania State Police have charged a Mercersburg, Pa., woman with theft by extortion after she allegedly stole another woman's dog and tried to get money from the victim. Police said Debra Double, 18, of 3599 Lemar Road, also was charged with theft of lost or mislaid property. The charges were filed with Magisterial District Judge David Hawbaker's office, and Double was released on her own recognizance. Police said Double was delivering newspapers Monday afternoon when she allegedly stole a Pomeranian belonging to Tammy Jamerson of 4786 Steele Ave. Jamerson posted fliers seeking information about the missing dog and was contacted by Double, who wanted $500 for the return of the dog, police said.

SMITHSBURG - Police are investigating the theft of a 500-pound Texas Longhorn calf taken Tuesday from property near Smithsburg, Washington County Sheriff's Deputy Corey McCarthy said. Police believe the calf was shot early Tuesday, McCarthy said. Track marks and blood droppings in the snow show that the calf was dragged to a nearby lane, where it probably was loaded into a vehicle, he said. If the cow is found dead, animal cruelty charges and theft charges could apply, McCarthy said.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A Falling Waters, W.Va., man was arraigned Friday on two counts of grand larceny and one count of conspiracy to commit grand larceny in the January 2006 theft of a tractor-trailer from a Berkeley County business, according to Berkeley County Magistrate Court records. David Lee Monninger, 48, of P.O. Box 48 and 6 Nozzle Drive, was arraigned by Magistrate Sandra L. Miller, who set a $30,000 bond for the case. According to a complaint filed by West Virginia State Police Trooper J.J. Bowman, Monninger was apprehended in Greencastle, Pa., by his counterparts there, and formerly had worked for the company from which the tractor-trailer had been taken on Jan. 21, 2006.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The mother of a woman charged last week with stealing and using the credit card of a patient at Chambersburg Hospital now has been charged in the crime, according to borough police. Vonnie Stopyra, 65, of 815 S. Fifth St., has been charged with forgery, access device fraud and criminal conspiracy, police said. She was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Gary Carter on Friday and jailed on $25,000 bail, police said. Karen L. Beam, 48, of the same address, was charged on April 26, with burglary, theft, forgery, three counts of access device fraud and 11 counts of attempted access device fraud, police said.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- Waynesboro police followed a trail of blood to find a man they say burglarized several vehicles late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Matthew Calimer, no age given, of Philadelphia Avenue in Waynesboro, was charged with burglary, theft, theft from a motor vehicle, loitering and prowling at night, criminal mischief and two alcohol-related offenses, police said in a news release. Police said they were called to the 100 block of North Potomac Street at 5:21 a.m. Wednesday.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office said their law-enforcement efforts have been undermined by Maryland District Court Commissioners who recently decided on two occasions to summarily release a Smithsburg man after he was arrested and charged with multiple counts of theft. On Thursday, the sheriff's office issued a statement saying it was stunned by the Court Commissioners' decision to release Bryan Lynn Fishack, 27, of 12729 Bradbury Ave. Fishack has been charged a total of five times with metal thefts since the beginning of September, sheriff's office spokeswoman Carly Hose said.

Theft reported on Oak Ridge Road The following incident was reported Wednesday by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office: • A theft in the 18100 block of Oak Ridge Road.

The following incidents were reported Monday and Tuesday by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office: A vehicle was damaged in the 11500 block of Twinebridge Court. A theft in the 9200 block of Mountain Meadow Drive. A theft in the 100 block of West Salisbury Street. A theft from a vehicle in the 16900 block of Sheffield Court. A theft from a vehicle in the first block of Dogstreet Road.