TikTok challenge to blame for wave of vehicle thefts in Charlotte, police say
Nearly 200 cars have been stolen in Charlotte in the past two weeks — almost a 30% uptick from what police say they are used to seeing this time of year.
The majority of the stolen vehicles are 2008 Kia and Hyundai models and newer Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Detective William Wallace said. The “Kia Challenge” on TikTok is largely to blame for the increase, he said. The TikTok video — now deleted — shows individuals how to start a car with a USB cable.
Last week, 24 of 81 auto-theft cases were Kia or Hyundai models, according to records provided by CMPD. In at least two cases, vehicles were left running or unattended with keys in the ignition.
So far, all suspects and persons of interest in the thefts are male juveniles, CMPD spokesperson Amanda Aycock said.
Thieves gain entry by smashing the rear passenger windows then cracking open the steering column to “hot wire” the car with a USB cord where the ignition used to be, Aycock said.
This method of stealing vehicles is more invasive and can cause damage to the vehicle, Wallace said.
“Some of the things that we recommend for individuals is if you have a garage, lock your vehicle in the garage. This way it is not always accessible to the public,” Wallace said. “We want you to ... layer your vehicle with anti-theft devices. So obviously, some of the simple layers would be, locking your vehicle, not leaving it running.”
Owners of Kias and Hyundais, 2008 models and later, also can use a steering wheel lock, such as The Club, Wallace said.
The majority of the recent thefts have taken place in north Charlotte, data show.
“We want those individuals to be aware that they could potentially be victims simply because their cars are susceptible to this trend,” Wallace said.
This story was originally published July 27, 2022 at 9:57 AM.
