ISLE OF WIGHT CO.-Someone took thousands of dollars worth of aluminum wheels from an Isle of Wight County auto parts store.
The owner of US 258 Auto Parts says about 100 wheels worth about $10,000-$12,000 were missing when the shop opened for business on August 16.
The shop had removed the wheels from cars taken there and put them in a storage shed.
"They cut the locks on the gate, came in and went to some storage containers in the back. They cut the locks there, opened the containers which had about 400 wheels, but they only took 100," Mark Holland told WVEC.com.
He says each wheel is coded with a 4-digit serial number in orange paint and he's made calls to scrap iron dealers in case anyone shows up to sell them.
"We can recognize every one that was taken," he told WVEC.com.
He says the wheels, depending on the daily rate of aluminum scrap, could get the thieves around $1,200.00.
Holland says it's the second time in a year that his business has been targeted. The first time, someone broke in, went into the office and took some guns, catalytic converters and other items.
"That put us out of business for four days," he said.
Holland hopes that a reward will help him and the sheriff's office find whoever stole the wheels.
Anyone with information about the grand larceny can call the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office at 757-357-2151 or Crime Line 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
