Potential new 'Kia Boys' theft trend could cost more to repair damage
MILWAUKEE - Auto body shops say the "Kia Boys" are using a new way to get into cars, and it's costing victims even more.
New video shows a Kia Boy in action on Milwaukee's Lower East Side, captured Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 9. You can see the suspect getting out of a Kia and police say he was attempting to steal another Kia when he was scared off.
This vehicle on North Waverly Place now has a broken door handle on the driver’s side, which appears to be a new trend for car thieves in Milwaukee.
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Maksim Shepshelevich helps run the family business at VCA Auto Body, Repair and Sales near 9th and National. He said fixing a broken door handle compared to a window is way more time-consuming and costly.
"It’s a common occurrence here. It’s sad to see," he said. "We’ve seen a huge influx of them recently. They have now decided to change their methods. Before, we used to see a lot of smashed glass. Now they are breaking door handles to get into cars."
The latest Milwaukee police data indicates vehicle thefts are up 4% this year, with 4,869 cases reported so far in 2024.
"We’re looking at glass, maybe $500, where replacing a whole door with paint, install and everything you’re looking at, closer to $2,000 sometimes," Shepshelevich said.
In a statement, a Kia spokesperson said, "This method of theft is well known and not focused solely on Kia vehicles [...] The advice we have learned from law enforcement for this type of crime is to install a steering wheel lock as it represents a strong visual deterrent."
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It’s advice Shepshelevich said isn’t always a sure thing.
"Unless you get a really good high quality club," he said. "They can bend them and break."
The Milwaukee Police Department said it’s aware of the new method. However, they have to look back at data to determine if the trend is new for the city.
Kia is also reminding its drivers that they offer free software upgrades to protect against illegal use of your vehicle's ignition system.