TROY, Mo. (KSDK) - He was once the target of a Five on Your Side investigation. Now Jason Pritz is the focus of a police investigation.
Police believe Pritz and another man stole the wheels and tires off of cars, felony crimes they think stretch into at least four communities.
The new Chevrolets may be loaded with features, but for a little while last week, they lost a basic, but imperative feature, wheels.
Someone traveling along Highway 61 called police after spotting something suspicious outside the Jim Trenary dealership in Troy, Missouri.
When the officer first pulled up, according to the police report, he saw a white van backed up against the lot. When the officer walked onto the lot, he saw several vehicles not sitting on their wheels, but sitting on wooden blocks.
In the van, police say they found ten wheel and tire sets valued at more than 12 thousand dollars.
Behind the wheels, laying in the fetal position and wearing a camouflage ski mask, police say they discovered Joshua Brookman.
Investigators arrested Brookman and impounded the van.
Police say Brookman was working with Jason Pritz, who ran off across the interstate when they arrived.
Officers searched for him, but Pritz was gone or at least he might have been had he not picked up the phone hours later.
"This gentleman called in and understood his vehicle may be here, he let somebody use it, so he asked if he could come in and fill some paperwork out to recover his van. So we said, sure come on in," said Troy Police Chief Jeff Taylor.
Pritz was questioned and arrested.
Like the wheels he's accused of stealing, Five on Your Side's Mike Rush went round and round with Pritz a few months ago.
Pritz owned a company called American Home Remodeling and because he didn't pay a subcontractor for a roofing job, the subcontractor put a mechanics lien on 80 year old Pat Randolph's house.
Pritz, who Rush discovered at the time had a record that included prison time for stealing, a conviction for passing a bad check and charges of not paying taxes, finally agreed to pay the bill and Rush was able to have the lien removed from Randolph's house.
Troy Police believe the two men are also responsible for stealing wheels in O'Fallon, Missouri, Wentzville and Belleville.
Investigators think they were selling them on Craigslist.
KSDK
This article can be found under crime news on the KSDK website.
Police believe Pritz and another man stole the wheels and tires off of cars, felony crimes they think stretch into at least four communities.
The new Chevrolets may be loaded with features, but for a little while last week, they lost a basic, but imperative feature, wheels.
Someone traveling along Highway 61 called police after spotting something suspicious outside the Jim Trenary dealership in Troy, Missouri.
When the officer first pulled up, according to the police report, he saw a white van backed up against the lot. When the officer walked onto the lot, he saw several vehicles not sitting on their wheels, but sitting on wooden blocks.
In the van, police say they found ten wheel and tire sets valued at more than 12 thousand dollars.
Behind the wheels, laying in the fetal position and wearing a camouflage ski mask, police say they discovered Joshua Brookman.
Investigators arrested Brookman and impounded the van.
Police say Brookman was working with Jason Pritz, who ran off across the interstate when they arrived.
Officers searched for him, but Pritz was gone or at least he might have been had he not picked up the phone hours later.
"This gentleman called in and understood his vehicle may be here, he let somebody use it, so he asked if he could come in and fill some paperwork out to recover his van. So we said, sure come on in," said Troy Police Chief Jeff Taylor.
Pritz was questioned and arrested.
Like the wheels he's accused of stealing, Five on Your Side's Mike Rush went round and round with Pritz a few months ago.
Pritz owned a company called American Home Remodeling and because he didn't pay a subcontractor for a roofing job, the subcontractor put a mechanics lien on 80 year old Pat Randolph's house.
Pritz, who Rush discovered at the time had a record that included prison time for stealing, a conviction for passing a bad check and charges of not paying taxes, finally agreed to pay the bill and Rush was able to have the lien removed from Randolph's house.
Troy Police believe the two men are also responsible for stealing wheels in O'Fallon, Missouri, Wentzville and Belleville.
Investigators think they were selling them on Craigslist.
KSDK
This article can be found under crime news on the KSDK website.
