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Police in central Minnesota say they've seen an uptick in car thefts in recent weeks and are warning residents to be vigilant.
The St. Cloud Police Department said Thursday there have been 30 car thefts or theft attempts "over the past several weeks," with many of them being notoriously vulnerable Kia or Hyundai models.
Police say the problem is citywide, many of the suspects are boys and the aim of most of the thefts seems to be joyriding. In one case cited by St. Cloud police, the alleged thief was 13. Another case involved 14- and 16-year-old boys.
"Enforcement efforts to catch those responsible are on going [sic] and will result in the responsible individuals being held accountable," the department said. "Due to the age of the suspects we asked that parents be aware of the trend and help address any issues if there are indicators their child could be involved."
Police recommend Kia and Hyundai owners contact their manufacturers to fix security flaws and use a steering wheel lock to deter thieves.
A rash of Kia and Hyundai thefts hit Minnesota and the rest of the country in 2023 and 2024 after a missing security feature called an immobilizer was publicized on TikTok.
WCCO Staff
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