Wheel thieves roll through stop sign into jail

BY VICTOR G. MIMONI

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 5:32 PM EST

Cops in the 111th Precinct have the feeling they may have nabbed a gang that’s been on a wheel stealing spree, stripping cars of their expensive tires and rims and leaving them on blocks around the precinct – because their driver rolled through a stop sign.

Just before 3 a.m. on Monday, November 16, cops spotted a van with Arizona license plates slowly cruising Douglaston Hill, a secluded section of the upscale neighborhood.

The van rolled through a stop sign at 243rd Street and 43rd Avenue, headed south. Cops pulled the van over after following it to Northern Boulevard and 244th Street, a distance of about three blocks.

In addition to the driver, they found eight tires on eight rims, a large jack, several lug wrenches, a supply of cement blocks . . . and four other youths. After a canvass of the area just left by the van, two cars were found – minus their wheels – up on cement blocks.

Arrested were: Wayne Joseph, 17, of 187-02 Pineville Lane in Springfield Gardens; Brendant Clarke, 17, of 140-35 Burden Crescent in Briarwood; Heriberto Rosado, 21, of 139-46 86th Avenue in Briarwood; Joseph Nuñez, 17, also of 139-46 86th Avenue in Briarwood, and Jonathan Sosa, 18, of 89-07 169th Street in Jamaica.

The youths were initially charged with multiple felonies including grand larceny, auto stripping, criminal mischief and possession of stolen property, among others.

“This is a good arrest – we think these guys have been at it for a while,” a police source told The Queens Courier. “But they’re out of business now.”