Security cameras showed some suspicious activity outside Copeland Chevrolet in Brockton, Massachusetts in the wee hours of Monday morning. Police arrested James Curtis for allegedly trying to steal wheels from Corvettes in the parking lot, The Enterprise reports.
“They discovered the defendant’s motor vehicle parked in the bank parking lot next to the dealership,” Brockton police lieutenant William Hallisey told The Enterprise. “Inside his motor vehicle, they found four lug wrenches, three lug nuts, and three lug keys. It appears he was trying to steal tires.”
Officers reportedly checked the area where Curtis was spotted and discovered loose lug nuts on a number of Corvettes in the parking lot, indicating that he was attempting to steal them. Curtis was arrested and charged with possession of burglarious tools and larceny of motor vehicle parts.
According to Tire Rack, a replacement set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP tires for a 2018 Chevy Corvette costs $1,110. A set of OEM wheels can cost a couple of thousand dollars on top of that. If successful, the thief could have made quite a bit of money. But it’s curious that Curtis reportedly had as many tools as he did, but apparently, no jack. Even without lug nuts, the weight of the car would have made the wheels extremely difficult to remove without lifting them off the ground.
Brockton isn’t exactly one of the nicest areas of Massachusetts. According to Only In Your State, it’s the second-most dangerous city in the state, with a 1 in 23 chance of being a victim of a crime. Fortunately, thanks to the Brockton police and the alarm company’s vigilance, these Corvettes were spared the loss of their expensive wheels and tires.