San Angelo Oil Field Company Suffers a Series of Work Truck Thefts

The workers at F2 Oilfield Services, a north Texas-based company out of Bridgeport, has had a lot to deal with in the past few months; something hard-working individuals who work hard to accumulate what they’ve got shouldn’t have to, especially after just opening business doors in San Angelo 2.5 years ago, said Joe Manning, vice president of Well Testing Operations with the local office.

Since July 1, and including Labor Day, a day many people enjoy having off to relax and/or spend time with family and friends, F2 Oilfield has had a total of four work trucks stolen from its lot at 2539 W. FM 2105 in San Angelo.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Manning said about all of the thefts, specifically the one from Monday.

At around 9:30 a.m. yesterday morning, a worker at F2 Oilfield flagged down a Tom Green County Sheriff’s Department deputy and said three company Chevrolets, a flat-bed and two three-quarter-ton pickups, years 2013, 2014, and 2015, were missing.

Lt. Christina Lopez, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Department, said somewhere between 5 p.m. Sept. 6, and 9:30 a.m. Sept. 7, the vehicles were taken. Workers last saw the vehicles at 5 p.m. Sunday evening.

Manning confirmed those times.

“Somewhere around 2:20 a.m. on Monday morning, the subjects jumped the fence at our facility and stole one truck, ran it through the gate and proceeded to go on a joy ride,” he said. “After the first truck, the suspects returned around 3:40 a.m. and took another truck. Finally, at close to 5:40 a.m., they took the final vehicle.”

Apparently, F2 employees have a designated key lockbox, and the suspects obtained entry into it and took the keys. Neither suspect worked for the company, so Manning said he has no idea how they learned about the keys’ location.

The two suspects, Michael Darwin Chappell, 17, of San Angelo, and an unknown juvenile (no name is being released at this time because of this) were eventually apprehended and arrested in Big Lake the same day thanks to the GPS systems in the trucks.

He also stated that F2 employs 18 people in San Angelo, and they have 10 work trucks they use and need to maintain business daily. Now they’re down four vehicles, and the trucks stolen Monday morning alone cost $150,000; not to mention, the fees incurred from all the damage will cost the company thousands, something Manning is dealing with now after the San Angelo Police Department recovered the first stolen vehicle back in July.

“Just insurance alone is $1,000, and then there was towing I had to pay for yesterday, which was close to $1,400,” Manning stated. As for the damage, “They’re all tore up. They ran one through a pipe fence out at Twin Buttes, and tore out the front end on it and the transmission.”

Manning said the first two trucks Chappell and his sidekick stole were actually found at Twin Buttes. One was found at the dam on the north side, and the other, on the south side, closer to Mertzon Highway. Lopez said SAPD found the first two vehicles, and Reagan County Sheriff’s Office found the third, and were the ones who apprehended Chappell and the juvenile.

As for the first stolen vehicle in July, another 17-year-old suspect, who runs in the same circle as Chappell, stole the first Chevy from a worker’s residence. That truck was found outside an apartment complex, and the suspect was arrested for the crime. Manning said he does not know the name of that suspect, but he does know from police that the teenager has affiliation with Chappell.

“It turns out, we’ve just been going back and forth with the police, and this whole group runs together. There’s been issues with them. There’s just no telling how big the ring is,” Manning noted.

That vehicle is still in the body shop, and body damage alone cost over $14,000, Manning added.

“We haven’t even gotten it to the mechanical side,” he said. “Plus, all the down time from not having them working.”

At this time, Lopez said the investigation is pending, and Chappell faces an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, which will be a state jail felony. A state jail felony, Lopez added, is punishable by confinement in a state jail for any term of not more than two years or less than 180 days; and/or a fine not to exceed $10,000. Overall, there is a $45,000 surety bond in place. Chappell also has another misdemeanor warrant charge for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle with a Surety Bond of $50,000, Lopez added. He also may face additional charges for the damage caused to the property, but that hasn’t been determined as of yet. Chappell was transported to the Tom Green County Jail without incident after his arrest. On his Facebook page, Chappell said he was released on a $10,000 bond.

Lopez said she was not sure as of yet how the juvenile, who was released to his parents, will be prosecuted.

Overall, Manning said he’s fed up with what’s taking place in San Angelo. Not only are his company’s trucks being stolen, but these area thieves have also taken his workers’ tools, work boots, and even a cooler and put them for sale on Craigslist. Because of these situations, he has to put more safety measures in place.

“I think the route I’m going to go is to have low-jack systems put in [our vehicles]. They have them now where you have to type in a code before actually starting the vehicle. It’s an ongoing thing here in San Angelo. It’s a regular occurrence.”

It’s a regular occurrence that seems to run in the family, Manning added. Chappell’s cousin, Melvin Chappell, is also incarcerated for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

“From what I was told yesterday, this young man they have apprehended, they knew who he was. They told me exactly who it was before they even apprehended him. They said it sounds just like his M.O.,” Manning stated.

He also said businesses in the community are going to have to get together and develop some kind of vigilante justice because it’s ongoing.

Manning proclaimed, “We can’t get it stopped. We’ve got to reach a point where that’s not an issue and shouldn’t be a worry. You know if you worry about that with your business, you’re thinking, what about your home and your families? It’s a wake up call. It really is.”