Police blame 'Kia boys' TikTok trend for spike in car thefts as Chicago reports decline in violent carjackings
Kia and Hyundai face a class action lawsuit over how easily people can steal their cars
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Chicago has seen a drop in violent car hijackings even as overall crime thefts have spiked by 185% in the city, as the "Kia boys" trend continues to plague city.
More than 15,000 cars have been stolen in 2022 in Chicago alone, with more than 3,000 of these thefts occurring in October, according to CBS News. CWB Chicago reported that as many as 1,397 cases have occurred in the first two weeks of November, exceeding any number of thefts in the whole month for any year since at least 2009.
Police speculate that violent carjackings have decreased due to the lower risk involved, including the delayed time in reporting. A violent hijacking will usually be reported immediately, while hours or even days may pass before someone reports their car missing from a break-in.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The cause for this spike may relate to a string of car thefts related to Kia and Hyundai they claim have occurred as part of a "social media influence" – particularly, the "Kia boys" trend.
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Police believe the spike in Kia thefts is related to a trend on TikTok, where people show how to use a USB cable to hotwire Kia models built in the last decade. The number of thefts that police and parents have attributed to the trend prompted a class action lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai over the ease with which someone can steal the vehicles.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Kia Sportage seen at the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City April 17, 2019. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
"They’re very easy unfortunately to steal," Buffalo Police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said last month when addressing the deaths of four teenagers who had allegedly stolen a Kia Sportage and crashed it in upstate New York, the Independent reported.
"You can look up the information that’s been put out there," Gramaglia continued. "There are numerous cities across the country that are looking at looking into or have filed lawsuits against Kia because of the ease that they are able to steal these cars."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police across the country are pointing to the TikTok "Kia Boyz" trend. (Marijan Murat/picture alliance)
However, Chicago police have continued to investigate a pair of armed carjackings reported Sunday evening.
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The first carjacking, which occurred around 7 p.m., saw two women ousted from their white Toyota as a carjacker held them at gunpoint. The women tried to fight back and even sprayed one of the thieves with pepper spray, but ultimately failed to stop the theft.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police are warning about a new challenge on TikTok teaching people how to steal Kia and Hyundai cars. (Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle)
A second carjacking occurred at 9:54 p.m., in which the thieves stole a Chevy Malibu after holding the 22-year-old driver at gunpoint.
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Chicago police have identified suspects related to Sunday’s carjackings as two Black men in their 20s, though they did not confirm if the same suspects may have committed both crimes.