Four Hyundais stolen from Woodlawn in one week
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The city's string of car thefts continue. Police said four Hyundais were reported stolen in the Woodlawn neighborhood within a week.
Three of the thefts happened on a two-block stretch of Kenwood Avenue between Dec. 17 and Dec. 22. The fourth happened a few blocks away near 64th and Ellis.
The CBS 2 Investigators have been tracking a spike in thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles this year. More than 7,000 Hyundais and Kias have been stolen in Chicago, accounting for about 38% of all car thefts in the city.
That number does not include the 86 Hyundais and 62 Kias swept up in 1,500 carjackings since November of this year, according to police data obtained in a public records request.
Thousands of Kia and Hyundai owners have lost their cars in Chicago and other U.S. cities thanks in part to TikTok videos that show how to exploit a hack on certain models that lack engine immobilizers.
Car thieves, dubbed "Kia boys" by some, are able to break into cars and start them with nothing more than a screwdriver and USB charger.