Virginia: Career criminal Ryan Evans, 22, convicted of stealing family's pet Beagle

VIRGINIA -- A Lunenburg County jury convicted a 22-year-old Charlotte County man recently of stealing a family’s pet beagle from in front of their house in broad daylight.  Ryan Patrick Evans of 888 German Town Road, Charlotte Court House, Va. was sentenced to 90 days in jail with an additional three years imposed and suspended by the judge with conditions of probation.

According to Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement, the case arose on December 1, 2014 about 4:00 p.m. as Charles R. Slayton of Tucker’s Road, Keysville, was outside his home and noticed a pickup truck stop in front of his yard.  As the truck pulled away, Slayton noticed his pet dog, Levi, sitting up in the front seat with two men.  

Slayton immediately got into his vehicle and followed the truck, which sped up, turning down Ontario Road, and then rapidly traveling up Zach Rd., which is a dead end, for a total distance of about two miles.  Slayton then blocked the vehicle, telling them to release his dog, which the two men did. The men then drove around Slayton’s vehicle and fled, but Slayton had their license number and called law enforcement.

Slayton identified the driver as Ryan Evans from a photo lineup, and it was later determined that the other individual was a juvenile relative of Evans.

Evans was charged with Felony Larceny of a Dog and arrested.  After a preliminary hearing, the case was certified to the circuit court for trial.  As the result of a health issue, Clement requested a special prosecutor for the original date of the jury trial on April 17th.  The Mecklenburg County Commonwealth’s Attorney Nora Miller was appointed, and she and an assistant, Josh Hatchell, handled the case and prosecuted the jury trial which was held on June 19, 2015.

The defendant was then additionally charged with Enhanced Petit Larceny, a felony, which allowed the prosecutors to introduce the defendant’s past larceny convictions to the jury in order to prove that this theft was a third or subsequent larceny.

Evans testified LIED to the jury that he was just riding around looking for his own dogs, then he saw this one and told his cousin to pick it up, thinking it was his.

Evans’ cousin, however, testified that he told Evans that the tag on the collar said Slayton, but that Evans just took off anyway.

The jury quickly deliberated and found Evans guilty of the felony.

In the sentencing phase of the trial, the jury once again heard evidence of Evans’ criminal record which consisted of eight convictions of stealing gas and one conviction of petit larceny of a camera in Charlotte County in 2013.

The jury recommended a 90-day jail sentence.  Circuit Court Judge Donald C. Blessing imposed the 90-day sentence on July 28, authorizing work release, and added an additional three years suspended upon conditions of supervised probation for three years, good behavior, remaining drug and alcohol free for three years, warrantless searches for three years, no firearms, and no contact with the victims.

(Southside Messenger - Aug 21, 2015)