A Charleston man who allegedly stole more than $40,000 worth of equipment is now wanted by police after he sped away from them on his four-wheeler.
Chad Edison Lude, 45, stole the equipment from Ferry Street near the South Side Bridge, according to a news release from Charleston Police Sgt. J.A. Hunt. The equipment included a mini-excavator worth about $20,000, and a trailer and hydraulic drill motors worth about $23,000.
Police say they found evidence at the crime scene that led them to Lude. On Wednesday, officers were heading to Lude's home on Lude Road, off Corridor G south of Charleston, when they saw him in a vehicle suspected in the theft.
A short time later, they were headed up the driveway to Lude's home when he drove up on a four-wheeler and stopped them. Lude was "uncooperative," according to the release, and fled when police told him about their search warrant for his property.
Police allegedly found the missing equipment next to Lude's home. The excavator's paint and markings had been sanded down and it was being prepared for repainting, according to the release.
Lude faces a felony charge of grand larceny. Anyone with information about him is asked to call Charleston Police at 304-348-6480 or Kanawha County Metro 911 at 304-348-8111.