Police: $120K worth of tires, rims stolen from cars on display at Slidell dealership

SLIDELL- Wheels were taken off nearly three dozen cars at a car dealership in St. Tammany Parish over the weekend.

The heist happened Saturday at Matt Bowers Chevrolet, Slidell police confirmed Wednesday. The wheels, worth about $120,000 in total, were taken off about 31 different vehicles, including Tahoes, Malibus, trucks and smaller SUVs.

Police said surveillance video from the dealership showed two men taking locks off the side entrances, pulling down the cameras and manipulating the lights so they could work at night. It's believed the men spent hours removing the locks off tires and rims before a UHaul truck arrived. The thieves then loaded up the tires and took off.

"These thieves were no amateurs," Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal said in a news conference Wednesday. "They defeated locks, alarms and surveillance video."

Investigators said the crime bears a striking resemblance to other thefts in Texas and Oklahoma, adding that these thieves are likely from outside the state.

The owner of the dealership is offering a $25,000 reward to the person who provides information leading up to the arrest of the suspects. If the suspects are caught, half of the money will be paid upon arrest and the other half upon conviction.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 985-646-4347.