Natalia Chi
CHICAGO — Remember a few weeks ago when a woman returned to her car inside the Loop parking lot and found a “Kia boy” trying to steal her car? Decided to carjack? Well, the Chicago police say they caught a thug.
In a press release Wednesday morning, the CPD said it had arrested a 15-year-old boy and charged him in the case. He has been charged with vehicle hijacking and a battery in juvenile court.
On the afternoon of March 6, the 45-year-old woman was returning to her Hyundai Sonata parked in a 100-block garage in West Madison when she discovered that her rear passenger-side window was broken.
Police said someone suddenly appeared from her car and demanded her property before driving back to the Kia.
“Kia Boys” is a popular name for car thieves who steal Kia and Hyundai cars by exploiting a design flaw that allows them to steal cars by using a USB plug as a key. If the desired car is locked, thieves usually break the rear side window to get in. As this guy recently did:
The craze, fueled by “how-to” videos on social media, is the main reason for the 143% year-over-year increase in car thefts in Chicago. So far this year, he said, car thefts have increased by more than 250% compared to the same period in 2021, 2020 and 2019. chicago police records.
Both automakers announced in February that they had developed software fixes to prevent the rest of the computer code from being stolen in the affected models. Among other things, the updated software requires the key fob to unlock the car door before the vehicle can start. You can beat the Kia Boys who break into your car through a broken window.
Both companies said Hyundai and Kia will install the patch for free. With about 8.3 million cars potentially needing an upgrade, Hyundai said it would prioritize the 2017-2020 Elantra, the 2015-2019 Sonata and the 2020 and 2021 venues.
Kia and Hyundai owners can learn more about the program and sign up to install it. on this website.
