GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In early August, Jason Noling came out of his apartment to begin work. That's when he realized his 2017 Hyundai Elantra had been stolen.
He had purchased the vehicle only four days before.
"But as everybody who's optimistic about things, they don't think it's ever going to happen to them," said Noling.
He filed a police report, and was told by an officer his vehicle was the third reported stolen vehicle in his apartment complex that morning.
Six hours later, Noling's Hyundai was found. The back window was smashed, and the steering column ripped apart. Overall, he said the estimate was about $2,600 damage.
The vehicle was Noling's office, as he is a driver for Uber and Lyft. He had purchased the newer vehicle specifically for work. He said the officer offered to keep the vehicle for further investigation, but he couldn't let that happen.
"'Do you want us to keep it and process it for prints and things like that?'" Noling said the officer told him, "That's going to take significantly more time, maybe weeks, before we can even get that repaired. And at that point, I was like, I can't be out of work for that long. So, there's no possible way that could happen."
In Grand Rapids, there have been 493 stolen or attempted stolen reports for Hyundai and Kia vehicles since May 1.
In the Kent County Sherriff's Office jurisdiction, there have been more than 100 stolen Hyundai or Kias, half of all stolen vehicles this summer.
Noling is frustrated, and wants to see police do more to prevent these thefts.
"These are like 13- to 16-year-old kids that are doing this," said Noling, "They're making videos, they're posting on the internet. I can find them. Why can't the police find it and do anything with it?"
Last month, GRPD Chief Eric Windstrom said all the local agencies are trying to work together to makes arrests, but they're being stretched thin.
GRPD says it continues to work with the Combined Auto Theft Team and other law enforcement partners, and encourages people to lock vehicles, park in secure area, and consider a steering wheel lock especially for Hyundai and Kia owners.
"We still have to answer to 911 calls on a daily basis," Windstrom said in July, "so, we can't spend our time out searching for the stolen KIAs and Hyundais. We still have to do other things police officers can do."
The stolen vehicles are often linked to a social media trend by "The Kia Boyz." Police say a group of kids or younger adults steal the cars for fun or to then use them to commit other crimes and they learn how to do it on social media.
The TikTok videos range from people driving around with a missing steering wheel column cover to GRPD chasing down a Kia driver.
For now, Noling's insurance is covering the use of a rental vehicle. Which, as an Uber driver, also presents its own challenges.
"When people see me roll up in a vehicle that isn't listed underneath my profile, I have to explain this story every single time," said Noling.
He expects to get his vehicle back from being repaired Wednesday. However, he is hoping to be able to trade it in for a less targeted vehicle.
"I'm a little weary," said Noling, "I don't want to get it all fixed up and then bring it back to the same place only to have it stolen again."
To prevent yourself from becoming a victim police recommend:
- Buy a steering wheel lock.
- Lock your car.
- Make sure the alarm is on.
- Park in well-lit areas or garage.
- Use camera surveillance systems.
RELATED VIDEO: West Michigan woman's Kia stolen twice within 24 hours, was trashed and driven nearly 1000 miles
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