Man arraigned for 25k theft of tires

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

An Austintown man is in the Mahoning County jail on $10,000 bond after his arraignment Friday in municipal court on charges he stole $25,000 worth of tires from his employer.

Christopher Tsai, 29, was arraigned on a charge of theft before Judge Elizabeth Kobly.

City Prosecutor Dana Lantz told Judge Kobly that Tsai had taken the tires from his employer, Ziegler Tire, on Poland Avenue.

Reports said Tsai is accused of taking 45 tires.

A manager at the shop received a call last month from a woman who at first refused to give her name who said she overheard Tsai say May 28 at a restaurant he had taken tires from his employer and was reselling them.

Later, reports said, the woman called another manager and this time did give her name, reports said.

The managers checked their stock and discovered the tires missing and then examined when Tsai used his employee card to enter the shop and gave that information to police, reports said.

Reports said the woman later admitted she was Tsai’s ex-girlfriend and that Tsai took the tires because he has a heroin addiction and was selling them to get money to buy drugs.