Beef stolen from parked truck in Philadelphia

Five pallets of beef valued at about $10,000 were stolen from a parked tractor-trailer in Philadelphia early Thursday morning.

Philadelphia police say suspects cut through a padlock on the truck around 4 a.m. while the driver slept inside the cab. The driver woke up when the truck began shaking and looked out the window to see several men moving around the vehicle. He tried to drive away but found his door open, leaving him unable to stop the theft.

The suspects fled in a dark gray Nissan sedan and two SUVs, according to video captured on the driver's cellphone. Investigators have not yet named the suspects.

This theft is part of a recent series of cargo heists in the city. On Tuesday, thieves stole 3,000 pounds of crab legs from a semi in Southwest Philadelphia. Earlier in October, more than $40,000 in beef was taken from a truck in Northeast Philadelphia, following a similar incident in South Philadelphia in late September.

Police are asking trucking companies to use hardened steel locks and park in well-lit, public areas to deter future thieves. The investigation remains open.