Slew of car thefts plague Kyle after TikTok video encourages rash of crime

KYLE — A viral TikTok video has encouraged a rash of car thefts in the area, according to Kyle Chief of Police Jeff Barnett.

Two makes of cars — Hyundais and Kias — are the prime targets, he said, but noted that there has been a rash of other vehicle thefts as well.

In the video, which was posted earlier this year, thieves show how to break into hot wire Kias and Hyundais using little more than a screwdriver and a USB cord. These stolen vehicles accounted for almost half of the total number of vehicles stolen last month.

Since the release of the video, the car manufacturers are phasing out a software update and Kia is offering owners a steering wheel lock free of charge to help combat this crime.

Something as simple as a steering wheel lock can help, the chief of police said.

“The reason why it’s effective is because this thing keeps you from turning the steering wheel,” he said. “So, even if you can turn it on, it can’t go anywhere. It’s just another added piece of security and a component that can help keep your car from [being stolen].”

However, Barnett said that all types of vehicles are being stolen in record numbers this year, with a rise in Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Honda and Subaru thefts.

In 2021, there were 48 reported stolen vehicles, in 2022, there were 115 stolen vehicles reported and there have been 32 reports in 2023 thus far, with 15 vehicles being reported stolen in May alone, accounting for more than $200,000 in vehicle value.

“Over half of those are what they contribute to driver error, meaning they leave the keys in the car and leave it unlocked,” Barnett said. “Outside of these that we’re seeing that are the Kia and Hyundai issue, almost all of the other stolen cars from our community had the keys in the vehicle.”

Another issue is leaving a spare set of car keys inside a locked vehicle, such as a spouse’s key.

“You have a spouse that has a spare key to their spouse’s car in case they need to go get it and when the [thieves] get into the unlocked car, they find keys in the glove box of the compartments, they hit the unlock button, and lo and behold, often it’s right next door and then they use that key to steal the car that’s nearby," the chief said.

According to Barnett, thieves often target entire neighborhoods. The vehicle thefts occur mainly between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and sunrise.

“Typically, what we see on these car burglaries is a vehicle will roll very slowly through the neighborhood, slow enough for people to get out and go up and pull door handles,” said Barnett. “They will walk a few houses down at a time, then get back into the car and go to the next block and do the same thing.”

He explained that the reasons someone may want to steal a car include for the commission of another crime. Often, they are found abandoned in parking lots.

“We are finding a good number of these cars in nearby communities ... They’re used to ultimately go and commit other crimes in different areas,” the chief said. “We do find them a lot of the time and they’re just abandoned, sitting in a shopping center parking lot, or they’re parked in a neighborhood somewhere.”

Finally, Barnett urged owners not to leave firearms in a vehicle.

“Their success rate at breaking into cars and finding a gun in Texas has become so prevalent, that it’s scary to think how many guns are being stolen from vehicles. We’re trying to educate people: do not leave your firearms in the car. Simple as that,” he said, noting that we, as a society, are making it too profitable to car burglars and thieves. “We leave so many valuables in [cars].”

The chief added that there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of vehicle theft.

“If it’s at your house, try to have it well lit, have motion sensor lights and have motion sensor cameras, that way you can actively notify [law enforcement] if somebody’s in your driveway. Try to park your vehicles in your driveway if at all possible and put them in the view of that camera so that it will pick it up,” he said.

If you see suspicious vehicles in the area driving through your community, the chief encourages residents to call the police department right away. If it’s safe to get a good description of the car, relay that information to law enforcement.

If you see someone breaking into your car, use extreme caution before intervening.

“I wouldn’t say you can or can’t [intervene], I would just say be very cautious if you’re going to intervene and certainly notify law enforcement in advance of any other action,” Barnett said. “Be very cautious because those individuals do, in fact, often have stolen weapons with them and it could be a very dangerous situation over a property.”

He added that KPD has increased patrols in the apartment complexes and in neighborhoods as they follow trends to help predict the most likely spots this could occur and when the groups are operating.

“We do use predictive analysis to do our best to prevent them,” Barnett said. “But we also need the help of the community to protect their own cars, keep them locked, keep valuables out of the vehicle and call when they see someone suspicious.”