Charges continue to pile up for two brothers

More criminal charges have been filed against two Lovingston brothers who are accused of stealing at least seven vehicles from Nelson County residents on Jan. 29 during a storm that covered much of Central Virginia in more than 10 inches of snow.

Andrew William Martin, 20, has been charged with two additional counts of felony grand larceny, two more counts of felony property damage, one felony county of hit and run and three misdemeanor counts of property damage.

On Feb. 2, he was 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.

Chad Martin, 19, has been charged with another count of felony grand larceny and two misdemeanor counts of property damage.

On Feb. 2, he was 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.

The two are scheduled to appear at 10 a.m. March 17 in Nelson County General District Court.

Nelson County sheriff’s Investigator Rebecca Adcock said that the two left their residence on Huffman Way in Lovingston after midnight on Jan. 29 and headed to Oak Hill Church along Davis Creek Road in Lovingston, where they allegedly broke into the church, stole the keys to the church van and then stole it and drove north on U.S. 29 before turning onto Buck Creek Road in Faber.

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

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

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 maneuvered 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 Virginia 151 in Nellysford, where they broke into the business 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 minivan and Andrew Martin stole a 2000 Ford Mustang before they headed south toward Virginia 6 and to Adial Road.

“Approximately a mile on Adial Road off of (Virginia 6), Andrew lost control of the vehicle and the Mustang ended up turned up in the creek bed about 50 to 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.

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

On Virginia 6, Adcock said the two came upon a residence owned by Paul Brogan, where 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 pickup.

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 he 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 Virginia 6 and fled on foot.

Later on, the two reunited in the Toyota pickup, Adcock said, near the intersection of U.S. 29 and Virginia 6, where Nelson County sheriff’s Deputy Josh Hatter spotted the stolen vehicle.

After Hatter attempted to stop them, the men abandoned the pickup on the side of Virginia 6 and ran. 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 arrest them during the same weekend.

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