Detectives established surveillance as the Liberty tractor-trailer entered the south parking lot of Crossroads Restaurant, located at 5050 NE 128 Avenue, the suspected meeting area.
Shortly after, a black Ford F-250 with an empty flatbed trailer pulled up alongside the tractor-trailer. The passenger of the tire truck, later identified as Julio Navarro, excited the tractor-trailer and met with the driver of the F-250.
After several minutes of counter-surveillance by Navarro and the F-250 driver, Navarro began loading tires from the back of the tractor-trailer onto the flatbed.
Once the tires were loaded, the tractor-trailer driver, later identified as Yanior Figueroa-Varga, pulled away and headed to St. Lucie County.
Law enforcement stopped the tractor-trailer before leaving Okeechobee County. The driver of the F-250 remained in the parking lot and was approached by detectives. He was identified as Juan Alcantar Mondragon.
Mondragon advised that he purchased the tires from Navarro for $14 each but did not pay for them until they were checked and counted. Mondragon was escorted to the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office, where he was interviewed and released.
Figueroa-Varga, 47, and Navarro, 52, were arrested, charged with grand theft, and given a $10,000 bond each.
The tractor-trailer and the 110 tires from the F250 were counted and photographed by Okeechobee County Crime Scene and then turned over to Liberty Tire.
