Sonoma Raceway Mechanic Sells Stolen Tires On Craigslist, Busted

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County sheriff's deputies arrested a Petaluma man Tuesday on suspicion of stealing tires from a racing company at Sonoma Raceway, a sheriff's sergeant said. The eight customized racing wheels worth $6,000 were stolen in November or December, but an employee of the racing company did not report them stolen until last Friday when he saw them for sale on Craigslist, Sgt. Spencer Crum said.

Sheriff's detectives contacted the Craigslist seller in Novato to offer $800 for the tires and recovered four of them. The seller said Jordan Slater, 49, of Petaluma, gave him the tires, Crum said.

Slater, who works as a mechanic at another business at Sonoma Raceway, gave the Craigslist seller the tires in exchange for some discounted auto parts, Crum said.

The seller did not know the wheels were stolen and is not a suspect because Slater told the seller they were just extra unused wheels from his garage, according to Crum.

Detectives searched Slater's home in Ely Boulevard in Petaluma on Tuesday but did not locate the four remaining stolen tires. Detectives arrested Slater on suspicion of grand theft and he was booked into Sonoma
County Jail but was later released on $5,000 bail, Crum said.

Anyone who knows where the four remaining wheels are is asked to call the sheriff's office at 707-565-2185.

By Bay City News Service

Photo courtesy Sonoma County Sheriff's Office