Residents react to uptick in Lehigh Kia Thefts

Reporter: Amy Galo
Published: Updated:

There have been 96 car thefts in Lehigh Acres in just six months.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, 22 of them were Kias.

“I’m gonna start putting mine into the garage at night,” said Reymond Tetreault, a resident in Lehigh Acres.

The latest theft in Lehigh Acres was caught on camera.

Two teens hotwired an open Kia and tried to drive off, only to get stuck in a ditch.

Their solution for getting out? They phoned a friend who began ramming into it.

“It doesn’t make sense because you wouldn’t be able to keep a stolen vehicle. So what are you doing?” said Jonathan Llubares, a neighbor

The teens didn’t make it very far, and were found in another stolen Kia and tried to run.

“Helicopter comes over about three times straight over,” said Tetreault.

LSCO eventually caught up with the teens and arrested them.

“Kids are dumb. And they’ll learn from their mistakes, hopefully,” said Llubares.

In the meantime, neighbors say they’re ready.

“We have cameras around the house we have I have cameras around my office. I have things in place for self-defense. We are in Florida. So guys that are stealing, you know, haha.”

It’s unclear if the thefts are related to a 2020 TikTok challenge, but since 2020, Kia thefts have been on the rise nationwide.

Some insurance companies have even stopped issuing new policies for certain models of Kia and Hyundai Just last year because of the growing number of thefts.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.