Gang of thieves steal tires from 46 vehicles from Kerrville dealership

Dealerships in area offering $4,000 reward to catch thieves

SAN ANTONIO – Kerrville police need help to track down a gang of tire thieves responsible for stealing tires from 46 vehicles from the Cecil Atkission Motors dealership.

Police believe the thefts happened between Saturday evening and Monday morning.

Lt. Mary Krebs said based on the number of vehicles that were impacted, it has to be a professional crew.

“We know it had to have been several individuals, and they had to have some box-type truck to put all these tires and wheels in the truck to be able to carry them on,” Krebs said.

The dealership sits on the edge of the Interstate 10 corridor, making it an easy target for crooks.

Cecil Atkission Motors general manager Tate Richburg said it has been frustrating dealing with the aftermath, but his crew is already working to place tires on the vehicles hit. He estimates the loss to be anywhere from $75,000-$100,000, including the labor and damage to the vehicles’ undercarriage.

“There’s enough damage on the cars that if someone’s looking for a good deal that would be something to take a look at and be able to save some money,” Richburg said.

A witness told Richburg the crooks may have been in a Ryder truck around 4 a.m. Monday morning.

Dealerships in the area have teamed up to put the brakes on the thieves and offering a $4,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. 

“You never know. There maybe someone on that night that could use $4,000 dollars. Maybe they’ll give us a call,” Richburg said.

Businesses have also started taking precautions to prevent from falling victim in the future. Anyone with information about those responsible is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 830-896-8477.


About the Author:

Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017. She has a proven track record of reporting on hard-hitting news that affects the community.