Power ballpark break-in leads to arrest

A West Virginia man is facing multiple felony charges, according to police, after he broke into the West Virginia Power's stadium and stole thousands of dollars worth of team items, including a jersey he wore when he was arrested.
Joshua Hanshaw, a 35-year-old from Charleston, West Virginia, was charged with grand larceny and breaking and entering on July 28 after he broke into the Minor League team's locker room and swiped nearly $4,000 worth of valuables, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in Kanawha County. 

Hanshaw, who police said is homeless, was taken to South Central Regional Jail, where he was photographed in a mugshot wearing one of the Power jerseys he allegedly stole. The jersey belonged to West Virginia's hitting coach, Ryan Long.
"It's a simple break-in -- it just happened to be at the stadium," said Ken Fogel, the Power's executive vice president. "Nothing has been returned to us as of this moment."
Hanshaw was arrested by Charleston police while wearing the No. 43 road jersey. Police said he "admitted to breaking and entering" and "taking the items." The police report states Hanshaw "was arrested wearing a jersey that was taken from inside the locker room."
Ballpark surveillance video showed Hanshaw wheeling around a laundry cart full of valuables inside the West Virginia clubhouse around 5:13 a.m. on July 27 ahead of the Power's road trip to Hagerstown. Fogel said Hanshaw took personal items belonging to players like sunglasses, shoes and toiletries. Much of the items had been prepacked for the team's road trip. He said Long will have to find a different top to wear for now.
"He can wear another jersey," Fogel said.
Fogel said police arrived Thursday and recognized Hanshaw from the ballpark security video. He said the city of Charleston, which owns Appalachian Power Park, installed video cameras in public areas about two years ago.
"We're an open-air facility. There's no security in the stadium that will prevent a determined person from hopping the fence and getting to the stadium," said Fogel. "He happened to find a weak link in the tunnel and found a way to get into the clubhouse. The city has been kind and quick enough to prevent it from occurring again."

Hanshaw signs a criminal complaint at Kanawha County Magistrate Court on Thursday. (wsaz.com)
The Power, the Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, have played at the stadium since 2005.
Hanshaw has been arrested at least four times since January, according to a criminal records website. Records show he was arrested March 28 for larceny, interfering with law enforcement and shoplifting. He was also arrested Jan. 22 and June 13, although charges weren't listed. The Kanawha County Magistrate Court said Hanshaw had previously been charged with grand larceny, fraudulent access and forging.
Grand larceny in West Virginia carries a minimum sentence of one year in prison and a maximum of 10, although the court has discretion to reduce the sentence to one year and a fine of $2,550. Breaking and entering also carries a similar sentence in the state.
The criminal complaint said the total approximate value of the stolen goods was $3,940. The report said Hanshaw filled the laundry cart with items and rolled it out an exit door. He left the cart behind but took the goods on his way out.
"A detective came in and looked at the footage, recognized the gentleman and paid him a visit," Fogel said.
The incident comes after college students in Michigan allegedly stole similar items from the visiting locker room at Lansing's Cooley Law School Stadium in April. Bowling Green players reported some sunglasses, caps and a GoPro had gone missing before a Midwest League game, leading to police tracking down two students who shared a photo of their theft on Instagram. Items were returned without a criminal complaint being filed.