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SALT LAKE CITY -- A Salt Lake woman hopes an online ad helps find her stolen car. She couldn't believe anyone would want her 16-year-old car, but police say it's a popular model for thieves.
The woman posted an ad on KSL classifieds after someone stole her '94 Acura Integra. She's hoping someone will see it and she'll be able to get her car back.
"Flashy" isn't a word Melissa Thies would use to describe her Integra.
"It does have some dents on the side, on the passenger side door and a dent on the fender and, you know, the paint is peeling a little," said Thies.
- 1994 Honda Accord
- 1995 Honda Civic
- 1989 Toyota Camry
- 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup
- 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
- 2000 Dodge Caravan
- 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
- 1994 Acura Integra
- 1999 Ford Taurus
- 2002 Ford Explorer
So she was surprised to find thieves had stolen her car outside her house early Wednesday morning.
"I was thinking, ‘Really, my car? Why would someone steal my car?' It's not the best looking car by any means," said Thies.
She filed a police report and then posted an ad with pictures on KSL classifieds, hoping someone might see it.
"I thought maybe it'll work if I post it, because I was told that maybe they'll take it on a joy ride and drop it off near the vicinity of my area," said Thies.
This isn't the first time Thies has had car woes with her Acura. Thieves broke into her car just three months ago and took out her headrests and stereo. About a month and a half after that, someone got into her car, rummaged through the glove box and stole her registration.
Police say Thies' Acura is a car that often catches the eye of criminals.
"They're most stolen for parts," said Sgt. Robin Snyder with Salt Lake City Police Dept.
Last year, 2,300 vehicles were stolen in Salt Lake City. Nearly one-third of those were Acura or Honda models.
"One reason is that the parts are interchangeable between Hondas and Acuras. They're both made by Honda so those parts are interchangeable, and between 1990 and 2000 all those parts are interchangeable," said Snyder.
The 1994 Acura Integra also makes the cut on the top 10 most stolen cars, scoring in at No. 8 on the National Insurance Crime Bureau list -- something Thies wasn't aware of.
"I've heard that it is stolen often, but then I thought if they are going to steal an Acura they probably want a good looking Acura," she said.
E-Mail: aforester@ksl.com
