3 Boys Accused of Stealing 7 Cars in 4 Hours

Three boys, ages 13, 15 and 16, were in Juvenile Hall Monday accused of stealing seven cars in four hours from the fleet at Mitsubishi’s national headquarters in Fountain Valley.

Investigators said that as far as they can tell the boys were out for thrills and were not part of any organized car-theft ring.

“I don’t think they’d have been caught the way they were caught if they were as polished as it might appear,” said a police spokesman.

According to investigators, the boys were caught trying to steal a car they had tried to steal earlier Sunday night. On their first attempt, they had been scared away by the car’s burglar alarm. When they returned, they were seen and police were called.

Officers said the three tried to escape in one of the cars they had stolen, but they spun out of control near Newhope Street and Warner Avenue and were arrested.

Police, who withheld the boys’ names, said three are from Santa Ana. The 13-year-old was the getaway driver, they said.

They said the boys went to Mitsubishi Motor Sales Co. of America’s national headquarters, 10540 Talbert Ave., about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, smashed a window in one of the firm’s cars, punched out the ignition lock and drove the car away.

They said the boys repeatedly returned, each time stealing another “new or nearly new” car, driving it away and leaving it parked in a residential neighborhood in southwest Santa Ana.

“We think they were just leaving them around so they could return to them whenever they wanted another ride,” a spokesman said.

Police said none of the seven stolen cars were stripped of any parts.

The three youths were arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, vehicle burglary and possession of burglary tools.