Hundreds of tires were dumped along several county roads and two state highways in the early morning hours Sunday. Sheriff Robert Bolcik believes the culprits may be connected to other illegal dumping that occurred in Jim Wells and Nueces counties over the weekend.

Bolcik said approximately 380 old tires were picked up by county workers in Precinct 2 and state workers Tuesday morning. He said the department is working on some good leads that he is confident will lead to an arrest.

“We believe that the suspect went around to different tire companies in Corpus Christi and took the tires to dispose of them for a fee,” Bolcik said. “Instead of disposing of them properly, they dumped them illegally to make more money. Tires have a paper trail.”

Most of the tires were found in the Bonnie View area on Bell, Beck and Levien roads as well as along State Highway 136 and Farm-to-Market 3037.

The sheriff said that the crime is serious because of the expense of disposing of them. Bolcik estimated the cost to the taxpayers will be about $2.25 per tire.

A passing local motorist was the first to report the debris on 3037 Sunday morning at 7:53 a.m. She told dispatchers that the tires were on the roadway and also scattered on the side of the road. The deputies did not know the extent of the dumping until they arrived on the scene.

Four large piles were found plus numerous scattered down the ditches.

The sheriff asked residents to call the department if they observed anything suspicious in the Bonnie View area. The suspects may have been driving a U-Haul or a trailer.