Sandal-wearing tire thief caught on camera

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - It is a crime with hundreds of victims in the metro area. Officials say thieves armed with tire irons are plucking tires right off high-end trucks and SUV's.     

Now there is video of one of the suspects.

The thief is shown on the camera wearing shorts and sandals as he arrives at a home in Northwest Albuquerque.

He goes to a truck parked in the driveway and begins loosening the tires, then takes off. About an hour later the thief returns and rolls the tires right out of the driveway.

The owner of the truck was a victim just six months earlier and set up surveillance cameras.

APD says in this case, the sandal wearing thief was very bold.

"The significance of the sandals is, he's pretty quiet," said APD Commander Joe Christman. "He's not worried about confrontation, he's not ready for a fight or flight situation. He's actually pretty bold and pretty calm about it."

Police say anyone who recognizes the thief could get a cash reward if they identify the man and it leads to an arrest.

Last week, APD busted 20-year-old Edgar Camaco, who is linked to at least a dozen tire thefts.

Police say they were getting reports of two to three of those crimes a night, but after Camacho was busted they have only had two.