Thieves target Honda SUVs, leaving them stripped inside Philly parks

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police's Major Crimes Unit is tracking a string of thefts of Honda CRVs.

The SUVs have been found stripped and abandoned along Philadelphia's walking trails.

Captain Robert McKeever said thieves are quickly removing valuable components before dumping the SUVs in parks and wooded areas.

"They're going to take their fenders, their hoods. They're taking some of their intakes off of their engines," he said. "There's a market. There's a big market."

One of the most recent discoveries was made Sunday at 10:30 a.m. along the Tookany Creek Trail.

McKeever said the theft ring has been operating consistently during overnight hours.

"They're operating in the overnight hours from 2 in the morning to 6 in the morning," he said.

McKeever said investigators have focused on the Honda CRV because thieves can easily repurpose its parts.

"The parts are interchangeable, and there's no VIN numbers on the Honda parts itself," he said, making the components difficult to trace once removed.

Over the last month, roughly 30 stripped vehicles have been recovered.

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