Alert Neighbor Saved New Ford Trucks from Chop Shop: Police

DETROIT, MI — Five brand new Ford F-150 trucks that authorities think were stolen to be stripped and sold for parts were recovered Friday by Detroit police after an alert neighbor reported suspicious activity, according to media reports.

Police think the trucks were stolen from an area where Ford Motor Co. stores vehicle before they are shipped to dealers.

The trucks were parked in yards of abandoned homes on Detroit’s west side near Puritan Avenue and Murray Hill Street. One person is in custody.

Detroit Police Officer Jason Tonti, who responded to the neighbor’s 911 call, said he “observed the individuals lying underneath the Ford F-150 Raptor,” WJBK-TV reported.

The Raptor is one of Ford’s top pickup models.

Another truck was in a garage on one of the properties. Police said the wheels had already been removed.

The Dearborn-based automaker is conducting an internal audit to determine if more pickups were stolen, WXYZ-TV reported.

Police don’t think anyone from Ford was involved, but they do think there are more suspects. The investigation is continuing.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said the individual who reported the suspicious activity did the right thing.

“This is a great example of community and police working together to solve a pretty significant crime,” he said, according to the WJBK report.

Photo of Ford F-150 Raptor by F. D. Richards via Flickr Commons