A Bronx man found close to the scene of a tire theft in an Glenbrook Road apartment parking garage last week was arrested Sunday night after police found tools used to jack cars up and remove their wheels, police said.
Reinaldo Rivera, 30, of 2816 Sheley Avenue, Bronx, New York, was charged with possession of burglar’s tools.
Patrol Capt. Brian McElligott said since before the theft of eight tires and rims last week from a parking garage connected to an apartment building at 66 Glenbrook Road, officers have been on high alert for anything suspicious.
Officers Rhett Connelly and Troy Judge were on patrol when they spotted two men who appeared to be suspicious walking on Valley Road, just behind the Avalon Glen apartment complex where the tires and rims were taken and cars left up on blocks early Tuesday morning, McElligott.
The officers grew suspicious when the men did not appear to be dressed properly for Sunday night’s bitter cold weather. Police detained the two and found a car belonging to Rivera parked a short distance away on Valley Road.
When police looked inside the car they found a bag of lug nuts and lug nut keys, which are specially manufactured wrenches used to tighten or loosen oddly configured lugs nuts designed to frustrate the thefts of tires and wheels when they are used, McElligott said.
Also found in Rivera’s vehicle was a floor jack and remote garage door openers, McElligott said.
Tire and wheel thefts have been a problem in the city for about 10 months, police said last week after the theft of eight tires off late model cars was discovered by police early Tuesday morning inside Avalon Glen.
Over the past 10 months, about two dozen cars have been stripped of their tires and rims in Stamford. Property Crimes Unit Sgt. Peter diSpagna said he believes a ring operating out of the Bronx is responsible for the thefts.
McElligott said police found no evidence linking Rivera to the Avalon Glen burglary. He said police are looking into the possibility Rivera may be connected with tire and rim thefts around the city.
