An 11-year-old boy from New Mexico was arrested on suspicion of a month-long crime spree that included shooting someone, stealing a car and crashing a stolen car into a storefront.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said it was “disappointing to see an 11-year-old boy arrested,” but the boy “Danger to the community”
“Kids need to face consequences,” Medina posted on Twitter. “We need to do something about the toxic combination of guns and social media.”
According to a 12-year-old victim, the 11-year-old girl was allegedly part of a group of teenagers known as the “Kia Boyz” who frequented the area. When the group tried to break into her home, she called police. She identified several of the minors to police.
“Kia Boysis an internet trend that extends far beyond Albuquerque. The Kia Boys aren’t a single group, but a group of teenagers and young adults who use a unique hacking technique to break into Kia vehicles. The technique is surprisingly simple, requiring only a USB and something like a screwdriver to pry open the car’s steering column.
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These car thieves often film themselves stealing cars and joyriding them, sometimes crashing them or driving erratically. These videos are then uploaded to social media to gain attention, prompting other young people to try this illegal behavior. Fatal crashes and thousands of car thefts According to Ars Technica, the business has spread across the United States.
It appears that the 11-year-old boy was participating in the “Kia Boy” activities. Police have linked him to At least three Kias were stolenThis is reported by local broadcaster KOB4.
The boy's criminal behavior is believed to have begun on May 5, when he allegedly stole a Kia Forte in northeast Albuquerque. The vehicle was recovered an hour later.
A week later, on May 12, a woman reported that four minors had thrown rocks at her home in an attempt to break a window. The woman was hit in the leg by a rock. That same day, a 12-year-old boy called 911 to report that a group of minors had also thrown rocks at her home in an attempt to break in. The caller identified several of the boys to police and said they were called the “Kia Boys.”
As time went on, the gang's crimes appeared to escalate. On May 17, a group of teenagers robbed a convenience store by driving a stolen gray Kia into its front door. More than $15,000 worth of items were taken, and the building was damaged.
On May 29, a man called 911 to report that he was shot at by four teenagers in a Kia outside his home. The caller said he noticed a suspicious Kia parked outside his home and asked the boys inside to leave. The group left and returned shortly afterward to shoot the man. Thankfully, he was not hit, and police found a 9mm shell casing inside his residence.
On June 1, Albuquerque police received a report of a shooting in which a man was shot in the hand. A 9mm handgun was found at the scene, but police were unable to locate the victim.
The 11-year-old boy arrested is believed to have participated in all of these incidents. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery, conspiracy, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, shooting at an occupied dwelling, unlawful possession of a weapon by a minor, non-residential burglary, criminal damage to property over $1,000 and conspiracy to commit a fourth-degree felony.
Albuquerque's police chief wrote in a statement that he hopes state lawmakers will “take action to address the growing problem of teens using guns and stealing cars while trying to gain attention on social media.”
The Kia Boy trend is less worrisome in Canada, where Kia vehicles are required to be equipped with electronic immobilizers, unlike our neighbors to the south. These common immobilizers prevent vehicles from starting without the correct key, making them harder to shock. Transport Canada requires all Canadian market vehicles manufactured after 2007 to be equipped with immobilizers, but there is no such rule in the U.S.
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