REGION: Japanese cars dominate North County's most-stolen list

By DAN SIMMONS - Staff Writer | Thursday, May 1, 2008 11:33 PM PDT ∞

North County car thieves share at least a few things in common with North County teenagers: a fondness for 1990s-era Hondas and a tendency not to drive far from home.

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Those trends have become apparent to sheriff's Sgt. Rick Persichilli, North County supervisor of the Regional Auto Theft Task Force.

"If it's stolen in North County," he said, "more than likely it's not going to leave North County."

He estimated that about 80 percent of cars stolen in the Highway 78 corridor between Oceanside and Escondido are recovered, and usually not far from where they were stolen.

Of the 120 cars recovered in North County since November, 46 were Hondas, 27 were Toyotas and nine were Nissans, Persichilli said. Honda Accords narrowly edged out Honda Civics ---- 22 to 21 ---- as the most stolen, with Toyota Camrys earning bronze with 16.

Among Accords, not one newer than 1999 was stolen, with nearly every year's model from 1987 to 1999 represented. For some reason, thieves steered clear of years ending in "8" ---- 1988 and 1998 were the only years left out.

The reasons have little to do with gas mileage or reliability.

Michael Duff, vice president of Redline Towing in Vista, where many stolen cars get towed, said the early 1990s generation of Japanese cars has proven laughably easy to steal.

It's not uncommon for stolen cars of that era to have no damage to the keyhole or ignition, he said, because the holes expand over time and no longer require an exact fit.

A shaved key or metal tool can get you into the car and get it started, he said.

But car owners share some of the blame, too.

"If they have a Mercedes out front and a '90 Accord, they'll install anti-theft devices and protect the Mercedes and leave the Accord with nothing," Persichilli said, "figuring, 'Who would steal this piece of junk?'"

Plenty of people, it turns out.

While car thefts dropped sharply nationally last year, the San Diego area recorded an increase and rose to third in the nation in the rate of car thefts, according to a survey released last week by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. In North County, the total number of car thefts jumped by 56 over 2006, which had recorded the lowest number of car thefts since at least 2003.

Persichilli said the cost of a stolen car extends beyond the financial pain ---- even if recovered, stolen cars cost $165 to tow and $35 a day for storage, Duff said ---- and the inconvenience for its driver.

"A lot of car thieves are also gang members and drug dealers," Persichilli said. "They steal cars to give them transportation to commit other crimes."

The problem in North County is much different than in San Diego, where thieves tend to work in organized rings and sell high-end stolen cars and parts for a nice profit in Mexico, he said.

In North County, thieves follow the rental car model, tooling around committing crimes for a matter of days or weeks and then ditching the car in an abandoned parking lot and stealing another, he said. Sometimes they'll sell a stolen car to another gang member for a small amount of marijuana, he said, but few make much money off the enterprise.

Most stolen cars towed to Duff's yard are otherwise drivable with little damage, he said, though sometimes the thieves strip the tires, rims and batteries.

Persichilli said the task force has taken a more aggressive approach to targeting known car thieves, whom he said can be responsible for 15 to 30 thefts a month. But law enforcement is often underequipped for the task, he said.

"We have an extremely large county, with a large population and a lot of cars," he said. "It's just a recipe for a car theft problem."

Contact staff writer Dan Simmons at (760) 740-5426 or dsimmons@nctimes.com.

Top six most stolen cars, North County (model years)

1. Honda Accord (1987-1999): 22

2. Honda Civic (1990-2000): 21

3. Toyota Camry (1989-2005): 16

4. Nissan Sentra (1989-1994): 6

5. Acura Integra (1992-1999): 5

6. Toyota pickups (1985-1988): 4

Eight cars tied for seventh place with 2: Chevy Corvette, Chevy Silverado, Ford Escort, Ford Explorer, Ford Ranger, Nissan pickups, Saturn SL, Toyota 4Runner

Source: sheriff's Sgt. Rick Persichilli

Note: Numbers reflect stolen cars recovered in North County over the last six months.