Admitting Habitual Offenses in Suspect's Investigation Report
A tire shop employee is deliberately damaging the customer's car wheel. Photo by BobaeDream post capture.
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] The police have uncovered evidence that the tire specialty store, which became controversial for deliberately damaging customers' car wheels and recommending replacements, engaged in such business practices habitually.
According to the Gwangju Seobu Police Station on the 28th, during the suspect investigation following the raid on Tire Bank Sangmu Branch the previous day, the store owner Mr. A admitted to deceiving customers multiple times in the same manner in the past.
Mr. A, who was booked without detention on charges including attempted fraud and property damage, deliberately damaged a customer's wheel with a tool on the 20th and then urged the customer to replace it with a new one.
The customer, suspecting the wheel damage was intentional, confirmed Mr. A's actions through the car's black box footage.
The black box video clearly showed Mr. A using a tool as a lever to bend the wheel while performing the tire replacement work.
After the video was posted on an online car community, numerous complaints and claims of similar damage from others poured in.
As the store owner appeared before the police and admitted to the habitual nature of the acts, investigative efforts are expected to focus on uncovering additional offenses. The police are expanding the investigation, believing the wheel damage occurred over an extended period.
A police official stated, "It is not yet the time to announce the number and timing of intentional wheel damages or the scale of other customers' damages. We have currently secured meaningful statements. Since the investigation is ongoing, we cannot disclose detailed information."
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