More cars stolen amid recent string of Honda CRV thefts in Philadelphia

Updated 2 hours ago
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- More owners of Honda CRV's are falling victim to thieves. This comes after Action News reported Philadelphia police's Major Crimes Unit tracking a string of thefts of Honda CRVs.

Action News has obtained new video of Honda CRV's being stolen from people living in the city Tuesday night.

These thieves are working quickly, stealing the cars and stripping them for parts.

One car owner says police told them their Honda CRV was one of three stolen Tuesday night and dumped in a wooded area along Kelly Drive.

Police are finding vehicles within a matter of hours but thieves are moving quickly.



Car thieves seemingly saying "thank you" after stealing this black Honda CRV from North 22nd Street in the city's Fairmount section.

We've learned police are reviewing this video where the vehicle was stolen in less than a minute after the video starts.

Broken glass is on the ground where the vehicle was parked.

This now makes more than 30 Honda CRV's stolen within the last month alone in Philadelphia.

"They'll do it in a caravan where it's like two or three cars following them in the same time," Captain Robert McKeever, with PPD Major Crimes, said.



Philadelphia police gave Action News an exclusive look at where the vehicles are ending up after being dumped in wooded areas within Philadelphia's massive system of parks and stripped down for parts.

"They could probably take apart a car in less than 20 minutes," McKeever said. "Just last week on Friday we found four -- all stolen that morning, and then a couple days prior to that we had four other ones in a cemetery."

Then, Wednesday, Action News also found another location where a Honda CRV was stolen overnight. This time, in Northeast Philadelphia, along Magee Avenue.

The owner told Action News an officer told them their vehicle was gutted and left in a wooded area along Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park.

The owners say they busted someone in their car two weeks ago after the alarm went off and parked it on a busier road, but the thieves stole the Honda anyway.



"The parts are interchangeable. Honda and Acura is made by the same company and so the parts are interchangeable and there's no VIN numbers on the Honda parts itself," McKeever said.

They're taking fenders, hoods, parts of engines, grills and airbags.

We're told the impact sensors, which are in high demand, can go for more than $2,000.

Here's a look at the devices police say thieves left behind after duplicating key fobs.



All they do is connect the device to the diagnostic port under the steering wheel, then it duplicates the key fob data, allowing them to start the vehicle and drive away.



Police suggest locking your diagnostic port.

You can do that by buying an OBD Port Lock. This will take away at least one option to duplicate your key fob.

The device starts at $35 and goes up from there.
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