Alleged stolen Cessna plane found at San Gabriel Valley Airport

El Monte Police Department officers recovered an alleged stolen Cessna 172 plane from the San Gabriel Valley Airport, the department posted to social media Monday morning.

The small plane, which had red, orange, and yellow striping, was reportedly stolen from a Southern California airport, according to the department.

The owner of the plane, 75-year-old Jason Hong, said his aircraft was stolen twice in a week. First, from Corona Airport. He said he immediately called the Corona Police Department. He got a call from the La Verne Police Department, who found it at Brackett Field. 

When he reunited with his plane, he found that the battery was dead and told the airport manager that he'd return in a few days. 

"I take care of the of the batter, come back to do the same work and the airplane is missing again," Hong said. 

Patrol officers on a graveyard shift responded to the San Gabriel Valley Airport to do a location check and found the stolen plane.

"It was just parked out on the tarmac, unoccupied," El Monte PD Lt. Aram Choe said. "In fact, it had a chain from the airplane to the bolt on the ground."

Witnesses said a woman had parked the plane at San Gabriel Valley Airport. 

The San Gabriel Valley Airport is a public airport and was formerly known as the El Monte Airport. Hong said the staff promised to provide 24-hour surveillance to keep his plane safe. 

"This has better people," Hong said. "Better lounge than Corona. A little bit farther but his airport can be my home base."

The circumstances surrounding the theft of the plane have not been revealed yet.