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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah (AP) - A car thief in Utah stole one Honda Civic this weekend and left behind an older version of the same car in its place, authorities said.
A woman parked her 2000 Honda Civic in a Target parking lot Sunday evening, and when she finished shopping found her car replaced by a 1997 Honda Civic, said Cottonwood Heights police Sgt. Mark Askerlund.
"The thief upgraded," Askerlund said.
The woman's newer Honda Civic has yet to be found, he said. The older car, stolen from somewhere in Salt Lake County, was stored until the owner can be contacted.
It's not unusual for car thieves to drive around one car for several days before ditching it for another to avoid being caught for crimes committed while using the vehicles, Askerlund said.
But he said it's unusual to swap out the same model for another and leave it in the same exact spot.
Hondas are among the favorite targets of car thieves. In August, Salt Lake City police issued a formal warning to owners of 1990-2000 Hondas after getting reports of more than 450 stolen Hondas since the beginning of the year.
Salt Lake Police told owners to use a wheel locking device or car alarm to prevent thefts.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 9/24/2013 9:40:19 AM (GMT -6:00)
