An employee of Tire Choice was arrested Tuesday night after closing up for the night and allegedly attempting to head home with four brand new tires.
Lawrence Leland Wise III, 21, of Belleview, had locked up for the night at the Tire Choice on the Historic Side of The Villages when he was confronted over four new tires in the bed of his truck, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
The tires, valued at nearly $400, were a perfect fit for Wise’s vehicle.
Wise claimed he found the tires by the dumpster and thought they were trash. The tires still had the stickers on the tread, the report noted.
When a police officer arrived on the scene, Wise told the officer he would “have the money for them tonight.”
He went on to say his friends had stolen tires and he thought he “could get away with it, too.”
Wise was arrested on a felony charge of grand theft and booked at the Lake County Jail. He was released after posting $2,000 bond.