A Chapel Hill police investigation launched this spring about a string of stolen Toyota vehicles has stalled, police officials said Tuesday.
Sgt. Josh Mecimore, spokesman for the Chapel Hill Police Department, said 16 thefts have occurred since January — three of them this month.
Police began the investigation after eight thefts occurred in March and April.
Mecimore said he doesn’t know if this month’s thefts are connected to the those from last spring.
The stolen models have all been about 10 to 15 years old.
Mecimore said people often steal cars and sell the parts for profit.
“In this age range, the value of the individual parts is greater than the vehicle itself,” he said.
Mecimore added that Raleigh and Durham have also seen a marked increase in car thefts, and Toyotas are popular cars to steal.
In 2011, there were more than 1,000 thefts reported in the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area.