CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A St. Albans man was arrested Friday after police say he broke into a Kanawha County Sheriff's Department cruiser late Wednesday.

Sheriff's Department Lt. Bryan Stover said Sgt. Eric Drennan got into his cruiser at his Nitro home on Thursday morning and noticed that several items were missing from the vehicle.

Stover said Drennan's car-mounted computer, radar unit, flashlight, dress uniform hat, sunglasses and cell phone had all been stolen from the cruiser. The total value of the stolen items came to more than $6,300, according to a criminal complaint on file in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.

Stover said deputies dusted the car for fingerprints and found latent prints on one of the doors, which they matched with Glenn Edward Shafer, 25, of St. Albans, within about an hour.

Stover said deputies were able to track Shafer down a few hours later. Shafer arranged to have his girlfriend return the stolen items.

Shafer was caught not long afterwards, and police say he told them he was intoxicated when he broke into the cruiser. He was arrested and charged with grand larceny, a felony.

Shafer was in South Central Regional Jail on Friday on $10,000 bond.

County officials believe it is cheaper and more efficient to allow deputies to take their cruisers home rather than keep the cars at a central location.

Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1215.