A 16-year-old boy was arrested in Shelton early Tuesday morning after stealing a Hyundai. This is clearly part of a viral social media challenge to steal a car.
Shelton Police Lieutenant Robert Kozlowski said, “It’s clearly shown in the video of using a screwdriver and a USB to start these two vehicles, just damaging the ignition.”
According to Kozlowsky, six Hyundai or Kia cars have been stolen in the past three days.
“Most of the vehicles were locked, smashed vehicle windows, damaged ignitions, and stolen vehicles using chargers as shown in TikTok videos,” he said.
Shortly after midnight, Shelton Police arrived on Column Avenue and Hill Street, and concerned citizens called the police. His 16-year-old boy from Ansonia has been arrested. He said he follows trends on TikTok.
A video on TikTok shows how to steal these cars in seconds using just a USB cable.
Both automakers say they are working with law enforcement to make steering wheel locks available. Officials say people should try to park their cars in well-lit areas.
Police are urging all parents to talk to their children about dangerous social media trends.
“People look at these videos and think, ‘Let’s steal a car and go for a fun drive,’ but it has a much bigger impact than that, and it needs to be communicated,” Kozlowsky said. says.