Police warn of spree of Kia, Hyundai thefts in Bronzeville
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police are warning of more Kia and Hyundai thefts – this time on the city's South Side.
This latest warning comes just a week after CBS 2's Tara Molina got an inside look at the anti-theft software Kia has deployed to prevent this continued spike.
Police on Thursday issued a community alert documenting six thefts of Kias and Hyundais within the past week – all within a span of a few blocks in Bronzeville.
- At 3:30 p.m. Saturday, a 40-year-old woman parked her car in the 800 block of East 32nd Street, and when she returned, the car was gone.
- At 4 p.m. Saturday, a 39-year-old woman parked her car in the 3600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue. She returned to discover her rear passenger-side window smashed and her steering wheel column peeled.
- At 5:45 p.m. Saturday, a 32-year-old woman parked her car in the 500 block of East 33rd Place and came back to find her rear passenger-side window broken and her steering column peeled.
- At 7 p.m. Saturday, a man parked his car in the 3500 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue and came back to find it vandalized.
- At 7:15 a.m. Sunday, a 51-year-old woman parked her car in the 500 block of East 33rd Place and found it missing when she got back.
- At 9 a.m. Monday, a 70-year-old woman parked her car and found someone she didn't know inside the car when she returned. The thief drove off in an unknown direction.
There was no word late Thursday on whether police believe the same theft crew was behind the spree.
In every case, the thieves targeted the victims' cars' steering column – because there is no engine immobilizer on certain models. We have told you that's why we've seen this spike in thefts.
Millions of cars are missing the engine immobilizer as an anti-theft device.
The community alert was issued just days after we took you inside a Kia dealership in Naperville where they're updating impacted models every day with anti-theft software.
The software requires the key to be in the ignition in order to turn on the car.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4.5 million Kias are eligible for the software update. Anyone with a 2011-2021 model with a twist to start ignition systems.
A spokesperson said Kia has updated around 50,000 cars so far.
Chicago Police included some tips with their warning for Kia and Hyundai owners today. They note that you can get a free anti-theft steering wheel locks from your local CAPS office; that all drivers can have a special, traceable marking etched into their vehicle's catalytic converter; and, finally, that Chicago residents can be reimbursed for the cost of a GPS tracking device by registering with the city.
Meanwhile, if you are a Kia or Hyundai owner and believe you're eligible for the anti-theft software update, but you haven't seen anything in the mail yet – we are told you can call your local dealership to set up an appointment.
Chicago Police are still investigating the six incidents in Bronzeville. Anyone with information should call Area 1 detectives at (312) 747-8380.
