MERRILL, WI (WSAU-WAOW) — Thousands of dollars’ worth of tires were stolen from a Merrill dealership on Monday morning.
Thieves took tires off nine trucks at Stark Automotive when a white panel van came onto the lot sometime after 1:00 a.m. on Monday.
From there, suspects caused an estimated $2500 in losses per vehicle. The van hit one truck bumper and left scratches and a dent. As a result, most of the targeted trucks are now on cinder blocks.
Both Stark employees and sheriff’s officials noted the incident appears to be one in a trend of robberies in central Wisconsin.
“We’re probably the fourth or fifth dealer in the area that’s been hit. Not quite as hard as some others. Some were in the thirty-car range,” Stark General Sales Managers Paul Kraetsch told WAOW-TV. “So, it’s just time for them to be caught.”
“Every time they do it, they leave something. One more clue,” said Lt. Ken Schneider of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. “And maybe we’ll get it put together between all the counties.”
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department urges anyone with information on the incident to contact them at 715-536-6272.
