Man’s Small Plane Keeps Getting Stolen and Returned — and the Mysterious Thief Even Replaced the Battery

A 75-year-old man from Yorba Linda, California, named Jason Hong, has been facing a bizarre series of events involving his small plane, a 1958 Cessna Skyhawk. On the day of his 75th birthday, July 28, Hong went to the Corona Municipal Airport to visit his plane, only to discover that it had been stolen. The plane’s disappearance prompted Hong to report the incident to the Corona Police Department, fearing that he might never see his beloved aircraft again.

However, to his surprise, the following day, the La Verne Police informed him that they had found his plane parked at the Brackett Field Airport, around 23 miles away from where it was originally kept. Hong, bewildered by the situation, decided to remove the plane’s battery, thinking it would prevent any further theft attempts. Despite his precautions, when he returned to inspect the plane on August 3, it had vanished once more, only to be found at the San Gabriel Valley Airport, approximately 18 miles from its previous location. Strangely, the thief had even gone as far as to replace the battery, a costly gesture that left Hong puzzled.

A tracking website revealed that the plane had been flown multiple times in July, indicating that whoever was taking it had some level of flight training and knowledge of aircraft mechanics. Despite chaining his plane at the San Gabriel Valley Airport in an attempt to safeguard it, Hong remains perplexed by the repeated thefts. The only potential lead in the case comes from a witness at the airport who had noticed a petite, middle-aged woman in the cockpit of the plane on several occasions, raising further questions about the motives behind the thefts.

Considering the unusual circumstances surrounding the thefts of his plane, Hong expressed his confusion, likening the situation to someone breaking a window only to replace it afterward. The authorities investigating the case, including Sgt. Robert Montanez of the Corona Police Department, are equally puzzled by the repeated disappearances of the aircraft. Despite efforts to comprehend the motives behind the thefts, there is a lack of concrete leads or evidence to identify the culprit responsible for the peculiar incidents.

The ongoing saga of Jason Hong’s stolen and mysteriously returned small plane continues to baffle both him and law enforcement. As the investigation unfolds, the motive behind the thefts and the identity of the individuals involved remain shrouded in uncertainty. With each instance of theft followed by a surprising return and peculiar gestures such as battery replacement, the saga of the stolen Cessna Skyhawk stands as a perplexing enigma in the aviation world.

In the realm of aviation, where precision and expertise are paramount, the repeated thefts of Jason Hong’s plane raise concerns about the security measures in place at local airports. The unusual circumstances surrounding the case highlight the need for a thorough investigation to apprehend the individual or individuals responsible for the thefts and to prevent further incidents of this nature. As the situation unfolds, the aviation community and law enforcement agencies remain vigilant in unraveling the mystery behind the stolen plane and the motives behind its curious returns.

The tale of Jason Hong’s stolen Cessna Skyhawk serves as a reminder of the unexpected challenges that individuals may face, even in seemingly secure environments such as airports. With each twist and turn in the ongoing investigation, the hope for resolution and justice grows stronger, underscoring the importance of diligence and cooperation in unravelling complex cases such as this. As the saga unfolds, the aviation world watches closely, eager to see the mystery of the stolen plane finally laid to rest.