Suspects captured quickly in grocery store break-in - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Fayette County Sheriff's Deputies made a pair of arrests only hours after a break-in that happened during the early morning hours of Saturday, Jan. 26.

Emergency dispatchers alerted deputies to the break-in at Ball's Grocery at 1 a.m. on Saturday.  The business is located just outside of Fayetteville on West Virginia Route 16.  Deputies said that someone had apparently used a hammer to break the glass in one of the doors.  They stole several cartons of cigarettes and tried to pry open an ATM machine. 

Investigators said the whole incident was caught on surveillance cameras, which showed two white men, who were later identified as Heath Shockey and Michael Cooley.  The two men were found by police and questioned.  A release from Sheriff Steve Kessler said that they were able to get enough evidence to arrest the men.

Raymond Heath Shockey, 30, and Michael Ray Cooley, 27, both of Fayetteville were charged with one count of Breaking and Entering.  Sheriff Kessler said more charges could be filed against the two men.  Apparently, Shockey was on probation after being convicted of another break-in at the same grocery store.

"The quick arrest in this case would not have been possible without the active assistance of the owner and employees of Ball's Grocery," said Sheriff Kessler.  "Even though the perpetrators were masked, the employees were familiar enough with these individuals to recognize their builds and mannerism to permit them to make a tentative identification of the suspects.  This provided enough information for Deputies to follow up by questioning these two suspects and gathering enough information to make an arrest in connection with this incident."

Shockey is being held in the Southern Regional Jail on a $10,000 bond.  Cooley was released on bond which was also set at $10,000.