CINCINNATI --
Cincinnati police are investigating a rash of auto thefts involving tow trucks.
Police said thieves are using the tow trucks to steal cars, then turning around and selling the cars for their parts.
So far this year, police said there have been about 12 thefts involving tow trucks.
Officers said the thefts have occurred in all parts of the city but seem to be concentrated in Cincinnati Police District 4. The thefts have involved high-end and low-end cars.
One person was arrested in January for auto theft involving a tow truck.
Police charged Dion Parker with two counts of auto theft. Court documents indicated that Parker stole someone's car using a tow truck and then sold its parts at a scrap yard in Kentucky.
But since Parker's arrest, the thefts have continued.
Officers warned drivers to avoid keeping their titles in their cars. Officers said doing so makes it easier for thieves to forge new titles in a matter of hours.
Officers asked that anyone who sees a tow truck on their property report them to police with the license plate number and a description of the driver and the car being towed.
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