7 Kids Learned How To Steal Kia’s From the Internet and Started Crime Spree To Impress Girls: Sheriff

A group of minors aged 10 to 15 have been arrested in connection to a spree of auto thefts, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said. 

Waters said Wednesday afternoon that the children did not steal the cars for profit but to impress girls. He added that the teens and preteens are not gang-affiliated but are responsible for a few other crimes. 

The kids were arrested after crashing a Kia into a ditch in the New Town neighborhood earlier this month. 

According to ActionNewsJax, Waters said the group learned how to hot wire the Kias from social media. 

The stolen cars are part of a barrage of Kias and Hyundais that have been reported stolen this year. According to data from The Associated Press, U.S. cities report that 60 percent or more of auto thefts in their cities involve Kias or Hyundais — which are made by the same South Korean manufacturer. 

The thieves reportedly use a screwdriver and USB cable to hijack the vehicles, which many are learning from social media sites like TikTok. 

The car companies announced new software to curb the thefts earlier this year, however, data shows the number of Kias and Hyundais being stolen is still growing. Waters said there has been a 95% increase in Kias and Hyundais stolen nationally between 2021 and 2022.