Tire thieves arrested by police

Salt Lake police arrested two would-be car strippers early Monday morning after they were caught as they were literally wheeling the parts away.

Just before 1 a.m., police received a call of a van being stripped at an apartment complex near 700 North and 900 West, said Salt Lake police detective Dennis McGowan. When officers arrived they spotted a man rolling a tire he had just removed from one vehicle, intending to put it in another vehicle, he said.

The man dropped the tire and ran, as did his partner, when they saw the officers roll up. Backup was called, and a police K9 found the men hiding a short distance away.

Detectives discovered the pair had taken all four tires off of a van that was stolen out of West Valley City earlier in the day, McGowan said. There was also a second vehicle nearby that appeared to have been burglarized, he said.

The men were loading the stolen materials into their own sport utility vehicle. Inside that car, investigators found the three other tires from the van, all with custom rims, and a car stereo and speaker equipment, McGowan said.

The men, both 23, were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle and fleeing.

— Pat Reavy