Two thieves were caught on camera stealing 18 “distinctive” Porsche rims, worth an estimated $20,000, from a Guelph business. Security video showed a man, walking a bicycle, approach Restoration Design Inc. at 2 a.m. on Tuesday. The business has been manufacturing parts for vintage Porsche cars since 2009. A short time later, the man returned with a second person who was pulling a small bicycle trailer. The pair entered the business, grabbed the rims and tools from the loading dock, then loaded them up onto the trailer. A couple of Porsche skateboards were also taken. Alex deJonge, the vice-president at Restoration Design Inc., believes he knows why the business was targeted. “Aluminum scrap prices are really high right now due to all the tariffs,” deJonge explained. “Thieves are realizing that, and that’s what they’re targeting [those items].” He called the theft an unsettling experience. “It’s violating for sure,” deJonge said. “You know that people are watching, and they gain access and take your items. It’s pretty sad.” deJonge said his staff reported the incident to police and reached out to a local scrap metal dealer to see if any of the rims ended up there. While the scrap yard employee promised to keep an eye out, staff at Restoration Design Inc. decided to visit the scrap yard in person. “[He] asked about them again and, while he was asking, noticed that one gold rim was in the pile of rims next to their unloading station,” deJonge explained. That distinctive gold rim was what tipped him off. “They realized all the rims were there and had been brought in for scrap money by a known suspect,” deJonge claimed, adding that the scrap yard paid the thieves a fraction of the actual value. “They gave the thieves $150. Knowing what the value of those rims were, and what they got for them, it’s pretty pathetic.” All 18 stolen rims have since been returned to Restoration Design Inc. deJonge described the suspects as having a slender to medium build and height. They are also estimated to be in their late 30s or early 40s. Both had their faces covered except when they first approaching the building. deJonge said this was the first theft at the business in nearly two decades. Restoration Design Inc. is now upping its security measures to prevent future break-ins. Anyone with information is asked to contact Guelph Police Constable Matt Simpson at 519-824-1212, ext. 7318, or email msimpson@guelphpolice.ca.
