[LASD] – You grab your cup of coffee and get ready to leave for work in the morning. You walk outside and your car is gone. It’s a thought we all dread. It takes a thief 10 seconds to break into a car.

It’s a fact; thieves are stealing 1990 through 1999 model year Honda and Toyota vehicles more than any other. Often times it is because the thief can quickly sell parts from the car and make more money than the car itself may be worth. Other times the stolen vehicle is used just as transportation from one location to the next or in the commission of another crime.

In the Santa Clarita Valley, 118 vehicles have been reported stolen since September 2012. Of those 118 vehicles, 31 percent of them have been Hondas. In the Santa Clarita Valley the most common model year of our stolen Honda is 1993, however model years 1991 through 1999 make up a majority of our stolen Hondas.

While the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station is making every effort to combat this recent crime trend, the key to crime prevention is community awareness.

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Crime Prevention Unit would like to remind you of the following tips that can help prevent your vehicle from being stolen:

Always lock your doors, remove your keys from the ignition, close your windows, and park your vehicle in a well-lit area.

A car thief can bypass your ignition by hotwiring the vehicle. Think about having an ignition kill switch, fuel disabler, or fuse cut-off installed on your vehicle by a licensed mechanic.

Adding a visible or audible anti-theft device to your vehicle, such as an alarm, steering wheel lock, or theft deterrent decals can also help.

The Santa Clarita Valley is not alone. Vehicle theft is among the nation’s most costly property crimes. Many law enforcement agencies throughout Los Angeles County are facing vehicle theft related challenges.

If you have any information relating to vehicle theft or other crimes in the Santa Clarita Valley and wish to remain anonymous, call LA Crime Stoppers by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.