Six car owners in Sharon had a rude awakening the last several mornings when they discovered their cars had been stolen during the night. But there's a bizarre twist to the thefts.

Five of the six stolen cars were found only a short distance from where they had been taken, police Capt. Michael Menster said.

"It's very strange," Menster said. Normally stolen cars are taken to chop shops, where they are dismantled, but all of the stolen cars were abandoned with nothing removed from them, he said.

"It seems like they're just being used for transportation or just joyriding in them. Then, they're dumping them. We don't get a lot of these," Menster said.

He gave the following account of the thefts:

Between Wednesday night and Thursday morning a 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was stolen from the 400 block of Walnut Street, a 1984 Buick was stolen from the 300 block of Alderman Avenue and a 1983 Chevrolet Caprice was stolen from the 500 block of South Oakland Avenue.

The Monte Carlo was found in Farrell with an empty gas tank. The Buick was found in the 600 block of South Oakland, and the Caprice was found only a block away from where it had been stolen.

Between Thursday night and Friday morning, a 1988 Chevrolet sedan was stolen from the 600 block of Cedar Avenue and found in Campbell, Ohio.

Between Friday night and Saturday morning, a 1990 Oldsmobile 98 was stolen from the 600 block of Sherman Avenue, and a 1989 Chevrolet Caprice was stolen from King Street and Spruce Avenue.

The Oldsmobile was found at Budd Street and South Irvine Avenue but the Caprice was still missing Monday. It is white with wire spoke wheels and has Pennsylvania license plate number DAF6280.

All of the cars were parked on the street and some were locked, Menster said. He said the steering columns of all the cars had been peeled and stripped.

People living in areas where the thefts occurred are urged to keep their vehicles locked and not leave the keys in them, Menster said. Neighbors should also watch out for each other and call 911 if they see any suspicious people in the area, he added.

Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call Sharon police at 724-983-3210. Crime Solvers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for anyone with information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the thieves.