At 3 a.m. on December 1, EPPD Officer Dan Peterson was assisting Officer John Wilson on a traffic stop when they noticed a passing car with expired license plate tabs. Officer Peterson pulled the vehicle over and noticed several tires and rims inside the vehicle. Officer Wilson was called to assist Officer Peterson and together they noted that the driver of the car was acting in a suspicious manner. They then requested other officers to search the lots of two nearby car dealerships for missing tires and rims.
The officers and K9 Brix began searching the lots and found several cars with their tires and rims missing. They also located a carjack and other evidence linked to the theft. Upon questioning, the driver of the car admitted that he had stolen the tires and rims from a local car dealer. Ultimately over $8,200 worth of tires and rims were recovered.
We are often asked why Eden Prairie officers spend a great amount of time enforcing traffic laws. One of the reasons is that many seemingly routine traffic stops, expired tabs for example, can lead to the discovery of criminal activity. The case cited above is a perfect example of that and as a result, Eden Prairie is a safer community.
