Ford Motor Co. is cooperating with police who are investigating the theft of another batch of new Ford Mustangs from near the Flat Rock Assembly Plant where they’re built, spokesman Said Deep told the Free Press Wednesday.
He declined to provide additional details on the situation.
Woodhaven police said in a news release officers are searching for suspects involved in the theft of eight Ford Mustang GT vehicles at approximately 1 a.m. Tuesday, exiting from the TDM vehicle storage lot’s east entrance /exit onto Vreeland Road — heading toward the I-75 overpass. Ford declined to confirm the year of the models stolen but police said it was 2022.
While responding to the theft call, Woodhaven officers found one of the Mustangs unoccupied near the intersection of Allen and Vreeland roads in Woodhaven. A K9 dog tracked the site and found no suspect. The news release said a second Mustang was discovered a short while later near Lafayette Boulevard and Cleophus Parkway in Lincoln Park.
The Mustang GT has a listed retail price of about $40,000.
Woodhaven police noted in the release that at 2 a.m. on Sept. 8, officers responded to theft from the same lot at 22400 Vreeland Road. At that time, 12 Ford Mustang GT vehicles were stolen. Again, they were driven east on Vreeland Road toward the I-75 overpass.
One of the vehicles was found by a Flat Rock police officer but it fled the traffic stop. The pursuit was stopped for safety reasons, Woodhaven police said in the release. Two of the stolen Mustangs were found unoccupied near the 32000 block of Fort Street in Rockwood a short time later. A third vehicle was discovered unoccupied near the 26000 block of Kirkway Boulevard in Woodhaven. A day later, on Sept. 9, Louisville Metro Police in Kentucky discovered a fourth missing Mustang with an occupant inside. Woodhaven said the agencies are coordinating. Then a fifth missing Mustang was spotted on Sept. 10, abandoned near I-94 and Van Dyke in Detroit.
“I don’t like to speculate. However, I would say the manner in which the thefts were conducted offers characteristics of an organized crime network,” Woodhaven Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Brust told the Free Press Wednesday. “As our detectives continue their investigation, I am fairly confident that this will be confirmed.”
This week marks the start of the North American International Auto Show, and Ford Motor Co. is unveiling is its 2024 Ford Mustang during a celebration event on Hart Plaza on Sept. 14.
Vehicle thefts at auto factories have been on the rise in recent months as demand for cars surges. Automakers are building as fast as they can but parts delays and supply chain disruptions have stalled production.
Also Tuesday, thieves stole five or six Jeep Wagoneers after ramming through gates at the Stellantis plant in Warren, Fox 2 reported.
The Free Press left messages for Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer. Stellantis did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
“We’re looking at five or six vehicles at least, and they were the high-priced Wagoneers,” Dwyer told Fox 2. “When the guard came out he started to close the gate, they smashed the gate and luckily he wasn’t seriously injured.”
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Content in this story was edited after publishing.
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard at 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter at @phoebesaid