ATLANTA — More Kia and Hyundai thefts caught on camera in the metro Sunday.
Atlanta Police Department said the latest case happened in Southeast Atlanta where criminals stole a rental Kia parking in front of a home near Grant Terrace.
The family who lives there warned the criminals doing this are becoming more violent.
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They say the pair of thieves shot a gun at them as they drove off in the car. They were too shaken to talk publicly, but a neighbor, Brenda Heath, spoke for them.
“I wish it would stop. I wish the crime like this would go away from this neighborhood,” said Heath.
Witnesses say the thieves were driving a stolen black Hyundai when they ditched it where they stole the Kia.
Neighbors shared more videos showing the pair of thieves driving around the neighborhood in the black Hyundai, casing vehicles with a flash light.
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It’s the second time criminals have successfully stole a Kia from this neighborhood. In December, video shows two people steal a red Kia Rio parked in front of a home on the street.
That’s when the TikTok challenge started gaining attention, showing people how to hotwire Kia’s and Hyundai’s with a USB cord.
By April of this year, APD said Kia and Hyundai thefts climbed to more than 500. Compare that to 52 in the same time period last year.
In the latest case in SE Atlanta, a GPS tracking device in the rental car gave police an idea of who is responsible. Officers have not made any arrests as of Sunday evening.
“I wish it would stop,” said Heath. “I wish the crime like this would go away from here I like the neighborhood. That’s why I’m here. I’ve been here almost 11 years. I don’t want to move.”
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