GARY, Ind. (WISH) — A 49-year-old man was arrested in connection with an investigation into tire dumping that began earlier this month, Gary Police Department said Wednesday.

Armando Ignacio Martinez, of South Holland, Illinois, was arrested through a collaboration of police and code enforcement officers for the city. They used the city’s automated license plate reader system to track a gray Chevrolet truck involved in the dumping.

“Illegal dumping is a widespread problem in Gary and poses a significant public safety issue,” said police Capt. Samuel Roberts said in a statement in a news release issued Wednesday.

The first tip about the tire dumping came March 5 behind 38th Avenue near State Road 52/Broadway.

Two days later, police and code enforcement officers visited Lake County Collision Center at 3734 Malcolm X Drive, where they saw stacks of tires inside the building. The business was found to be operating without proper licenses and was subsequently shut down.

The investigation continued March 14 with officers tracking the truck in East Chicago and Gary. Hammond Police Department located the vehicle in the 4700 block of Johnson Avenue in Hammond, where Martinez was arrested.

Residents are encouraged to report illegal dumping by using the Gary’s 311 line (219) 881-1311 or the city’s Text-to-Tip line (219) 207-8477.