By J.D. CHARLES, Staff Writer

WEST LOGAN — Another apparent home invasion was interrupted by a home owner on Monday afternoon in West Logan.

The Logan County Sheriff's Department and the West Logan Police Department were called to the scene when a residence on First Avenue in the town was reportedly burglarized.

According to West Logan Police Chief Robert Ward, the burglar apparently came through the back yard of the victim's home and burst out a glass door with a brick and gained entry into the residence. Reportedly, the unknown thief then fled when the victims returned home.

Just a few weeks earlier, in the Aracoma area, a similar crime occurred when three thieves broke into an empty residence and gathered items to steal, only to abandon their effort when the homeowner came home and surprised them causing them to flee out the window.

"Deputy Jason Mathis of the Logan County Sheriff's Department asked me to come down and help canvas the area and ask people what they may have seen," Ward told councilmembers Monday night.

"We looked around for tracks and signs of evidence and we may have a good lead as to who the suspect on this incident is," he said.

During his monthly report, Ward said there have been several thefts and robberies in West Logan in the past two months, most of which were incidents where people left their cars and trucks unlocked only to find out that small items had been stolen from inside them the next morning. One man had left his vehicle unlocked in a driveway only to find a shotgun stolen the next day. Other victims have lost GPS units.

Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects is asked to contact the Logan County Sheriff's Department at 304-792-8590, the West Virginia State Police at 304-792-7200 or the West Logan Police Department at 304-752-3244. Tips can be left anonymously.

"We just need the information, not your identification," Chief Ward said.

One unrelated minor theft was cleared up and the stolen property recovered recently, Ward said.

The recent rash of robberies and burglaries has been the talk of the town for the past two months. At Wednesday's meeting of the Rotary Club of Logan Crystal Hensley said she too had been robbed this week.

Hensley said the unknown thief or thieves had broken in when nobody was home and made off with jewelry and guns.

"Our little boy was terrified," Hensley said. "He is crying at night because he is afraid the burglars will come back when we are at home."

Hensley said she was told by an insurance agent that around 10 burglaries had been reported in the past few weeks.

Hensley was not the only Rotarian who was robbed. Clinton Winter was hit a few weeks ago by theives who struck when he was out of town. The thieves took several handguns, but left rifles and shotguns behind, prompting Winter to beleive that they may have used an ATV as a getaway vehicle. Winter has posted a reward for information leading to the arrest of the theives.