Connecticut woman recognizes her stolen Hyundai in viral reckless driving video
Gail King of Meriden, Connecticut was in for two unwelcome surprises. After a long weekend shift at Walmart, she walked into the parking lot. “I got out of work. I went to go get in my car to go home and I’m looking, can’t find my car.” Her Hyundai had been stolen.
She reported the vehicle missing, but the police struggled to get it back. New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson said the state law against pursuing stolen vehicles was a major challenge. Even if he or his officers spotted King’s stolen 2013 Hyundai Sonata, they couldn’t chase it.
King’s daughter Cassandra argued, “You don’t want to go on a high speed chase that puts other people at risk, but these delinquents that are stealing these cars are putting the kids at risk.”
Then Gail King opened her phone and spotted her car in the most unlikely of places. Her grey Sonata was featured in a viral video. The thieves were speeding down the street, swerving, and even hitting signs. All while some daredevil hung out of the passenger window. Despite the bizarre circumstance, King said she recognized her car immediately.
When police finally told her they’d found her car, it was in rough shape. “It was a mess. The passenger side window was all smashed in they had plastic for the windows.”
The “Kia boys” are learning to steal Kia and Hyundai cars on social media
Timmy Jerome owns the company that towed King’s car home. He explained why thieves targeted the stolen 2013 Hyundai Sonata (which shares many components with Kias). “A lot of the Kias, the older ones, they just pull the ignition and they use a USB cable to start it up.” The rectangular tip of the USB cable is the perfect size to spin the ignition switch once you’ve torn out the tumbler that receives the key. Jerome said practiced thieves can complete the procedure in “30 seconds.”
Once thieves discovered the trick, they shared it all over platforms such as TikTok. They tagged theft videos with a “Kia challenge” or “Kia boys” hashtag. Some thieves film videos speeding around in these stolen Kia and Hyundai cars before ditching them.
But this isn’t a lighthearted social media challenge. It’s a real crime with very real victims. King said of her stolen Hyundai, “It’s a nightmare having to go through all this stuff.”
