Burning SUV links to beef heist

A Dodge Journey that caught fire on Interstate 95 early Thursday morning may be the getaway car for a cargo theft in Wissinoming. Emergency crews arrived near the Aramingo Avenue exit just before 5 a.m. to extinguish the flames. After the fire was out, investigators found piles of meat inside the vehicle. The contents matched boxes reported stolen from a tractor trailer earlier that night.

The theft occurred at a truck parked at 5200 Devereaux Avenue. Thieves cut the rear padlock off the trailer and took five pallets of frozen beef valued at $10,000 at 4:12 a.m. The driver was asleep in the cab when he woke up to see people removing the meat. He recorded video of three vehicles at the scene before they left.

Police are searching for a dark gray Nissan sedan and two dark-colored SUVs. Officers also recovered other boxes of meat that had been thrown over the highway bridge. Those items landed on the train tracks underneath the roadway. The burning Dodge Journey fits the description of one of the vehicles in the driver's video.

John Ryan, commanding officer of Northeast Detectives, told 6ABC that it is likely the same crew is responsible for both incidents. He noted that police have not yet made a formal connection between the two events. The investigation into the initial theft is ongoing with detectives in the Northeast district. Anyone with information is asked to call 215-686-3153 or 911.

This theft is part of a string of similar crimes in the area. On Tuesday, 3,000 pounds of snow crab legs were stolen from a truck on Island Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. In early October, another $40,000 worth of meat was taken. Authorities said the current incident could be linked to multiple other cargo thefts that have occurred in the past month.

Philadelphia Police advised trucking companies to use steel locks to slow down thieves. They also recommended that drivers park overnight in well-lit areas. Law enforcement plans to increase patrols in locations where trucks frequently stop. Police did not immediately return a request for comment on whether the car fire was directly related to Thursday's theft or other incidents.