ST. CHARLES – A 29-year-old St. Charles man attempting to steal wheels from a vehicle at a St. Charles dealership has been charged with felony theft, according to a St. Charles Police Department report.
Stewart S. Parazaider reportedly told police he was browsing the inventory at Don McCue Chevrolet, 2015 E. Main St., at about 11 a.m. Sept. 15 when he saw a Chevy Suburban on cement blocks.
Thinking it was a "clever" idea, Parazaider bought cement blocks at a home improvement store and gathered sockets, a socket wrench, a tool to remove locked lug nuts, dark clothing, a face mask and black gloves, police reported.
Parazaider parked his car in the 2400 block of Production Drive and reportedly returned to the dealership after 11 p.m.
He walked to a black 2013 Suburban that was farthest back in the lot to avoid being seen, police reported, noting he was trying to remove the final wheel when police arrived.
He reportedly told police he hoped to sell the wheels to a friend.
When police confronted him about a similar theft the previous week, Parazaider denied knowledge of the incident, police reported.
Police noted that the four tires and rims stolen the previous week were valued at $5,500.
Parazaider, of the 500 block of South 13th Avenue, St. Charles, was charged with felony theft. An assistant state's attorney denied charges of burglary and possession of burglary tools, police reported.
According to online court records, Parazaider was released on $2,000 bond and is expected in court Oct. 1.
His 1998 Toyota Camry was towed to the police department, police reported.
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