The owner of a Waterbury tire shop and two other men were charged in connection with the theft of nearly $80,000 worth of tires and rims from two car dealerships in Watertown, Conn., police told the Hartford Courant.
In July, 20 rims and tires valued around $20,000 were reported stolen from sale vehicles at County Line Nissan, according to police.
After Wolcott Police Department alerted Watertown police that a van equipped with a GPS device had been stolen, the police found the stolen van was near the Nissan dealership and tracked the van to Tony’s Tires and Wheels in Waterbury.
Watertown detectives searched the tire store and found rims and tires stolen from the Nissan dealership from Bradshaw Jeep, police told local media.
Police said they also used the GPS device to develop two more suspects and found two men on surveillance footage meet the owner of the tire shop twice, once with the stolen van being driven into the shop.
The shop owner was charged with first-degree larceny, first-degree criminal mischief and two counts of conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny; the other men were charged with first-degree larceny, first-degree criminal mischief and two counts of third-degree larceny.