A tire store owner and her son have been charged after snow tires valued at approximately $50,000 were reported stolen from Oshawa-area car dealerships.
Durham Regional Police said a theft was reported on Aug. 5, at a Ford dealership in Port Perry. Two or three people had used bolt cutters to open a storage container, officers said in a statement Tuesday.
It was reported that more than $15,000 worth of tires and rims were stolen. The suspects and their vehicle were captured on video surveillance.
As officers investigated, they connected the theft to two others in the Durham region. A similar theft occurred at a Toyota dealership in Coburg on July 30, when snow tires and rims worth $18,000 were stolen.
Less than a week later, more than $15,000 worth of snow tires and rims were stolen from a Ford dealership in Stouffville, police said.
It is alleged that the stolen goods were then taken to a tire store on Ritson Road in Oshawa to be sold.
As a result of the investigation, 43-year-old Sheila Stephens and 24-year-old Tyler Stephens have been arrested. Both were charged with three counts of break and enter and three counts of possession of property obtained by crime.
Police are seeking a warrant for a male suspect believed to have aided in the thefts.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact police at 1-888-579-1520, ext. 2676, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
