SEATTLE — Three stolen cars were recovered in Seattle on Monday and suspected car thief was arrested after police said he tried to buy new tires with a forged check.
Police said they were contacted by a tire store in West Seattle after a 41-year-old man tried to use the forged check and then “asked to apply for a line of credit even though he was unable to provide ID.”
Police said the man was trying to buy new tires for a Mercedes and he was arrested when he returned to pick up his car.
When they arrested the man, police said they found a license plate from another car that had been stolen hours earlier but had not yet been reported.
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“At the time of the arrest, he was also wearing a jacket for a valet company, which had reported the Mercedes stolen,” police said.
As they continued to investigate, police said they found key fobs for other expensive cars, stolen checks taken in a recent burglary at a business, and ID cards belonging to other people, as well as modified keys typically used by auto thieves.
The man was booked into the King County Jail on investigation of auto theft.
Police said they also requested charges related to the stolen license plate, possession of auto theft tools and providing a fake name.
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