In the last few weeks, five out of the six cars stolen from the Cherry Hill Mall have been Hondas - specifically, Civics and Accords dating back to the 1990s.
"Why go after something like that? Go after something jazzy or whatever!" said Fran Lisa of Medford.
Police say there's a reason why thieves are targeting these old Hondas.
"We think they're taking them for parts. We recovered two of the cars taken in Camden stripped of many of the parts," said Lt. Bill Kushina of the Cherry Hill Police.
Older Hondas have also been stolen from parking lots at a nearby Loews movie theatre and the Houlihan's restaurant on Route 70. Nationwide, the two most frequently stolen cars are the '94 Accord and the '95 Civic. Al Connelly's son had his '97 Honda stolen in Philadelphia.
"In the lower of the driver's side window they slide a bar down," Connelly explained. "They hooked the handle and opened the door up and away goes the car."
Det. Keith Mahan investigates auto thefts in Cherry Hill. He says it's too early to say if there's a stolen car ring at work, but he advises all drivers - especially those who own Hondas - to take precautions.
"We would suggest you lock your car when you get in and out of it. Any of the anti-theft devices would be helpful," said Det. Mahan.
In addition to increased security patrols at the mall, local police are also here in unmarked units hoping to catch the car thieves before they get away.
