New Haven Man Charged In $20K Tire, Rim Thefts: Police

EAST HAVEN, CT —Police have made an arrest in the 2020 thefts of tires and rims at McDermott Chevrolet that resulted in $20,000 worth of losses, East Haven police Capt. Joseph M. Murgo said Tuesday.

Alex Ruiz, 28, of New Haven was charged in connection with the East Haven thefts. But Branford police were also investigating similar thefts at a car dealership in that town, Murgo said. East Haven investigators learned in January that Branford investigators had found a "key piece of evidence" — a dropped cell phone —that helped to identify Ruiz and implicate him in the cases in both towns.

Murgo explained that in October, and again in November, 2020 police were called to the East Haven car dealership for a report that four rims and tires were stolen off of a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Badlander. As Patch reported at the time, the vehicle was found propped up on four jack stands and surveillance video showed a white Ford F-150 enter the parking lot during the overnight hours and park in the area of the parking lot where the theft occurred. Several minutes later, the truck is seen leaving the parking lot with four rims and tires in the bed of the Ford. A month later, police were again called to McDermott for another theft complaint: all four rims and tires were stolen off of three cars; 2020 Lexus IS300F, 2016 Dodge Challenger, and 2019 Toyota Corolla, Murgo said. All the vehicles were propped up on milk crates when found by McDermott staff. In that case too, surveillance video captured the same vehicle, a white Ford F-150 drive into the lot during the overnight hours before stealing the rims and tires from the three vehicles.

Then, in January, East Haven investigating officer Brandon DePalma learned that the Branford Police Department was investigating similar thefts and, during one of those thefts, a "key piece of evidence left behind by the suspect, later identified as Alex Ruiz was discovered." Murgo said the evidence linked Ruiz to the McDermott Chevrolet thefts, as well as the Branford Theft.

Murgo said that as the investigation progressed police found that Ruiz tried to sell several sets of rims and tires online on social media platforms and on private sale apps, tires and rims that matched those stolen from McDermott Chevrolet. Police also found a white Ford F-150 matching the one captured on surveillance video at Ruiz’s house in New Haven.

Arrest warrants were signed for Ruiz in February, Murgo said.

Ruiz has been charged with second degree larceny, third-degree larceny, and two counts of third-degree criminal trespass.

Ruiz was held on $17,500 bond.