Lovingston brothers charged in string of car thefts

Two Lovingston brothers have been charged with more than a dozen felonies between them after authorities said they stole at least seven vehicles from Nelson County residents last Friday night during a winter storm that covered much of Central Virginia in more than 10 inches of snow.

Nelson County Investigator Rebecca Adcock said Andrew William Martin, 20, and Chad Edward Martin, 19, left their residence on Huffman Way in Lovingston after midnight on Jan. 29 and headed to Oak Hill Church on Davis Creek Road in Lovingston.

There, the two allegedly broke into the church and stole the keys to the church van before stealing the van and heading north on U.S. 29 before turning onto Buck Creek Road in Faber.

On Buck Creek Road they lost control of the van on a curve in the road, crashed through a horse fence, flipped the van and totaled it, Adcock said.

From there, the men went to a residence on Buck Creek Road and stole a 1987 Ford Ranger, Adcock said, which had the keys inside the vehicle.

The Ranger was a farm use vehicle that belonged to Nelson County Central District Supervisor Connie Brennan.

Brennan said she woke up around 1 a.m. when she heard the Ranger start up and at first thought it was her husband, John, outside.

“John was sleeping right next to me though, so I woke him up and said ‘John, someone is stealing our truck,’” Brennan said.

Brennan said the two men managed to maneuver the vehicle from its parking space and down the driveway.

The men then headed north again, and ended up at E.W. Smith Auto Sales on Va. 151 in Nellysford, where they allegedly broke into the office, Adcock said.

They found a box of keys to the vehicles in the sales lot and from there, Adcock said, Chad Martin stole a 1999 Toyota mini-van and Andrew Martin stole a 2000 Ford Mustang before they headed south toward Va. 6 along Adial Road.

“Approximately a mile on Adial Road off of (Va. 6), Andrew Martin lost control of the vehicle and the Mustang ended up turned up in the creek bed about 50-60 feet down the embankment,” Adcock said. “Apparently he did not get hurt from that. He walked away from that.”

The Mustang, like the church van, was also totaled from that accident.

Andrew Martin then got into the Toyota mini-van with Chad Martin and the two men headed toward Va. 613 off of Adial Road, Adcock said. There, one of the mini-van’s tires blew out and when the van wouldn’t go any farther, the men allegedly left it in the road and walked back toward Va. 6.

On Va. 6, Adcock said the men encountered a residence owned by Paul Brogan, which had three trucks sitting out front, each with the keys inside.

There, the men attempted to steal a 1991 Toyota pickup, but got it stuck in a ditch and they abandoned it.

Adcock said Chad Martin then took a 1992 Toyota pickup and Andrew Martin took a 1997 Ford F-150.

When Andrew Martin started the Ford, Brogan heard the noise and went outside to try to stop them, Adcock said.

“(Brogan) came down the embankment trying to stop them and the vehicle, and then the right front passenger tires runs over Mr. Brogan because he slipped and fell,” Adcock said.

Andrew Martin continued to drive the Ford away, Adcock said, but hit a culvert pipe farther down the road and blew out a tire.

Adcock said Andrew Martin then abandoned the truck in the middle of Va. 6 and fled on foot.

Later, both men reunited in the Toyota pickup, Adcock said, near the intersection of U.S. 29 and Va. 6, where Nelson County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Hatter saw the stolen vehicle.

After Hatter attempted to stop them, the men abandoned the pickup on the side of Va. 6 and fled on foot. Adcock said Hatter attempted to pursue also on foot, but the falling snow and slippery terrain made it impossible.

Nelson County Sheriff David Brooks said Hatter recognized the two men and through investigation the sheriff’s office obtained warrants and arrested them over the weekend.

“It’s a wonderful relief that we were able to catch them as soon as we did,” Brooks said.

Andrew Martin is charged with three felony counts of grand larceny, two felony counts of burglary, one felony count of destruction of property and a misdemeanor of eluding police. His arraignment in Nelson County General District Court is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 9 a.m.

Chad Martin is charged with four felony counts of grand larceny, two felony counts of burglary, one felony count of destruction of property, one misdemeanor count of destruction of property and one misdemeanor count of eluding police. His arraignment is scheduled in Nelson County General District Court for Feb. 3 at 1:30 p.m.

Brooks said both men are being held without bond at the Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Jail.