PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A tire thief on the Treasure Coast has been stopped in his tracks, according to police.
"It's just a beautiful car. I get so many compliments," said Dollie Robinson.
Robinson is talking about her limited edition Chrysler 300 75th anniversary model. She was getting the engine serviced earlier this month at Turn Two Auto Care when owner John Fazzino reached out to the family.
"That’s a broken-hearted call you have to make, no matter what business you own," Fazzino said.
Fazzino told them a thief had come onto the property and rolled off with her tires, a specialized set worth $7,500.
"They scoped out what they were looking for like a shopping list, brought in a roll jack, jacked up some cars, and stole rims and tires," Fazzino said.
About a week later, a car driven by Garret Geisz of Jensen Beach was pulled over for a traffic stop in the same area. Geisz was given a ticket.
The detective on the stolen tire case saw that body cam footage and connected the dots.
"When we get something, we take it personal. We want to make sure our victims are taken care of," said Assitant Chief Richard DelToro of the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
When the suspect was arrested this week, police said they discovered that the tires and rims on his car matched the ones taken from the victim.
Fazzino, whose team works on plenty of custom cars and street rods, said the brazen nature of the crime was disappointing.
And Robinson, who had owned other Chryslers with her late husband, is glad that her car will soon be on the road again, supported by her own tires.
"When the detective called me and told me that, it was like the pain had stopped because I had a broken heart," Robinson said.
