A social media challenge is resulting in an increase in stolen and illegally entered cars in Gulfport and St. Petersburg, according to police.

Cops say a TikTok challenge shows Kia and Hyundai vehicles getting hot wired and stolen with USB cables.

A number of the successful TikTok-related challenges result in joy rides; thieves leave the car nearby, police say, but add that the efforts to hot wire the vehicles can damage steering and ignition systems.

The Gulfport Police Department reported two separate break-ins to Kia vehicles on July 31.

One occurred near Seaside Villas near 58th Street. Would-be thieves attempted to steal an unlocked Kia; they tampered with the steering column but could not start the car, according to GPD.

The same night more would-be thieves tried to steal another unlocked Kia near Shore Boulevard and 60th Street South in Town Shores. GPD said the would-be thieves dismantled the Kia’s steering column, but could not start the car.

GPD Sergeant Thomas Woodman said police have no leads.

Another unsuccessful theft occurred Aug. 1 near Town Shores the same beach location when would-be thieves tried the TikTok challenge on an unlocked Honda Accord. Again, the aspiring thieves busted the steering column and ignition, but could not start the car.

On Aug. 8, Gulfport police also reported that another car near 54th Street and 29th Avenue South had its rear window broken into and the steering mechanism tampered with; a passerby two juveniles, who left the scene before police could question them.

Woodman said these incidents fit with the TikTok challenge, focusing on Kia models manufactured between 2011 and 2021 and Hyundai vehicles made between 2015 and 2021.

He stressed the need for residents to lock and secure their cars.

“An extremely high percentage of vehicle burglaries and vehicle thefts are due to the victims leaving the vehicle unlocked, the vehicle unlocked with the keys inside, or the vehicle unlocked and running unattended,” Woodman said. “If people would secure their vehicles, we would have a lot less occurrences of these types of crimes.”

On Aug. 5, thieves stole a car near 30th Avenue and Clinton Street South after the owner left the vehicle running and unlocked in a residential drive way.

St. Petersburg police also report a rise in car thefts — including Korean-made Hyundais and Kias.

“Since July 11, we have had 56 cars stolen and 23 of them have been Kia/Hyundais models. That’s about 41%,” said Yolanda Fernandez, community awareness director for the St. Petersburg Police Department.

“Investigators determined that car thieves are using a technique to break into the steering column to start the vehicles and steal them. The targeted vehicles are KIA and Hyundai models 2021 and older that use an inserted key instead of a push button ignition.”

Fernandez also urged car owners to lock their vehicles.

Police departments throughout the country report additional incidences of the social media grand theft auto trend. 

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: car theft, Gulfport, Hyundia, Kia, police, st petersburg, TikTok challenge

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