Amador County – The Ione Police Department arrested an Alameda County woman and are seeking an arrest warrant for a man after the two allegedly conspired to steal a woman’s purse last week at an Ione business.

Ione Police Chief Michael L. Johnson released details of the case Monday, saying that IPD arrested Ashley Chapman, 26, of Alameda County, for theft of a purse from the Ione Hotel Bar last Thursday (Dec. 28), and after further investigation it was determined Chapman “worked in concert to commit the theft with a male accomplice.”

After an investigation, Johnson said “officers produced evidence” that Andrew Heisler, 25, of Hayward “had conspired with Chapman to steal the purse.” Heisler was also found “to be in violation of court probation terms and guilty of violating an active restraining order,” but he was not located.

At about 6 p.m. on Dec. 28, Ione Police Department responded to the Ione Hotel Bar, 25 West Main Street, “to a reported theft of a woman’s purse.” The victim said she had stepped out of the bar momentarily and returned to find her purse missing from among her property that was situated on a table in the bar. The victim and a witness provided the description of the suspect woman and a man believed to be associated with her.

In attempts to locate the woman, another witness provided additional information about the man. Johnson said that from the information gathered in the investigation, “officers concluded that the male was the suspicious person they had interviewed the night prior in Ione.”

History checks led Officers to the identification of the wanted female as Ashley Chapman. Officers located Chapman in an apartment in the 10 block of South Church Street. IPD Officers recovered the victim’s purse, car keys, title to her vehicle, credit card, and most of the stolen property.

Chapman had an outstanding Alameda County warrant for her arrest. Chapman was transported to the Amador County Jail and booked on charges of Conspiracy, Theft, Possession of Stolen Property, and the warrant. Johnson said the couple has a history of contacts and local ties in Ione. He said a warrant for Heisler’s arrest is being pursued through the Amador County District Attorney’s Office.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.