Arrest Made in $100,000+ Tire Theft Case

On April 27, 2019, Slidell Police were called to the Matt Bowers Chevrolet dealership after a manager discovered 124 tires and wheels missing off of 31 vehicles, totaling a loss of approximately $120,000.

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The investigation led detectives to Houston, Texas where detectives spent several days meeting with Houston Police and other neighboring agencies. They were able to identify 39-year-old, Eric Summage (Humble, Texas) and 44-year-old, Riley Richardson (Houston, Texas) as two of the primary suspects.

Eric Summage was arrested for felony theft over $100,000. Riley Richardson is still at-large and is wanted by Slidell Police. Other suspects have been identified, and detectives are in the process of issuing additional arrest warrants.

Slidell Police investigators have spent hundreds of man-hours investigating this case. Surveillance videos from multiple locations throughout the gulf south and Texas have helped with the identification of the suspects. Numerous search warrants have been conducted, and there are more to come. The suspects have been linked to multiple similar thefts along the I-10 corridor, and areas throughout the State of Texas. In total, it is believed that this professional theft ring is responsible for millions of dollars in tire thefts. Based off of the Slidell Police Department’s investigation, Summage and Richardson are also now wanted by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, which is out of San Antonio, Texas.

Chief Randy Fandal says, “Because of the hard work of our detectives, we have put a big dent in this elaborate theft ring. One arrest has been made, and there will be several more to follow. One message has been made VERY clear to these individuals…don't come to Slidell, Louisiana, to commit your crimes. I told you we would come find you no matter where you were hiding, and I’ve held true to my promise. We aren’t stopping here. We will continue to identify, hunt down, and arrest everyone responsible for this theft. We are in contact with multiple law enforcement agencies and sharing information to ensure these individuals are brought to justice and held responsible for every single theft they have committed.“

Slidell Police detectives Kyle Taylor and Joel Hoskins are responsible for the investigation. They can be contacted via e-mail at ktaylor@slidellpd.com or jhoskins@slidellpd.com.