3 stolen SUVs are taken to Mexico

Three of the four high-end SUVs stolen from a mall parking lot Sunday are already in Mexico, and the fourth is probably there too, authorities said Monday.

The late-model Chevrolet Tahoes and Suburbans -- worth about $45,000 each -- were taken from the Shops at Mission Viejo in the 27000 block of Crown Valley Parkway, the same location from which 28 similar vehicles were stolen in a three-month period last year.

"We're pretty sure it's all connected to the same ring," said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. "They're taking them to Mexico and Central America to sell."

It's unlikely that the vehicles can be retrieved, authorities said.