Is someone leaving spikes on the road to puncture tires in Paso Robles?
Sterling Hayden immediately identified the spiky metal object as a caltrop when it was pulled from a customer’s tire at Anthony’s Tire Store in Paso Robles.
They are not common, Hayden said.
But, as of Tuesday, 16 people have brought their cars to the tire store after they discovered one of the multi-pronged spikes in their tire.
Paso Robles Police Department is actively investigating the source of the caltrops.
“We don’t know if it is intentional,” Paso Robles Patrol Sergeant Jeremy Petlachi said. “It may seem that way, but we need to investigate all the way through.”
Caltrops were historically used as weapons to puncture enemy tires and are now uncommonly used by law enforcement, according to West Point.
They are designed so that when thrown, however they land, at least one of the prongs sticks up, ready to damage a passing car tire. They are available on Amazon, often marketed as bird and theft deterrents.
“Some people can hear the ‘tick-tick-tick’ so they come in and say there is something in my tire,” Hayden said.
Some of the people who brought their cars to the shop reported driving down First Street and Niblick Road, Golden Hill Road and Creston Road or Highway 101 towards Cambria when they first noticed the caltrop in their tire.
“It is a little limited for suspect information since there are no targeted areas,” Petlachi said.
Official police reports have been filed with the Paso Robles Police Department, the last one occurring on June 26.
So far, the tire store has been able to patch the tires.
Technicians remove the punctured tires to inspect the inside and ensure the tire is salvageable, but it all depends on how the caltrop enters the tire, Hayden said.
“The biggest one is 4 by 4, and the majority is an inch and a half by inch and a half,” Hayden said. “Someone is manufacturing these because you can’t buy something like this.”
Paso Robles police encourage people to report any suspicious activity. Anyone with information can call 805-237-6464.
This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 3:45 PM.