Kia, Hyundai Thefts Increase In Shelton Due To TikTok Challenge: PD

SHELTON, CT — A teen accused of stealing a car in town told police he was following a trend on TikTok regarding stealing Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

In a news release, Police Lt. Robert Kozlowsky said officers were called to the area of Coram Avenue and Hill Street just after midnight Tuesday morning after receiving a report of young men trying to break into vehicles.

The suspects were in a Hyundai that was reported stolen out of another town, Kozlowsky said.

Police were later alerted of a separate vehicle theft in Shelton and found it being driven along the Derby/Shelton Bridge by a 16-year-old from Ansonia.

According to Kozlowsky, the teen told police he was following a trend on TikTok regarding stealing Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

Since Saturday, six vehicles have been reported stolen in Shelton, five of which are Hyundai cars and one of which was a Kia, Kozlowsky said.

The teen was charged with first-degree larceny, third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal trover and operating a motor vehicle without a license.