FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A 14-year-old boy was taken into custody after leading Fond du Lac County authorities on a high-speed chase in a stolen Kia.
Around 9:34 p.m. Sunday, authorities spotted a vehicle traveling south at a high rate of speed and swerving vigorously back and forth on Martin Avenue near Pioneer Road in the city of Fond du Lac.
Emergency siren and lights were activated but the vehicle continued to increase speeds.
The teen turned on Highway 151 and eventually came to a stop near Hickory Street. The boy was taken into custody without further incident.
The pursuit lasted approximately 2.5 miles. No one was hurt and no property was damaged.
Authorities learned the teen recently moved to the Fond du Lac area from Chicago the boy had broken into and hot-wired the Kia Soul shortly before the chase. Deputies say the boy later admitted to breaking into and hot-wiring a second vehicle the night before, abandoning it, after having crashed into the ditch on Pioneer Road in Fond du Lac.
Investigators say this behavior is representative of the group calling themselves “Kia Boys” or “Kia Boyz” who specifically target certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles for theft due to a known vulnerability that allows a thief to quickly hotwire and steal vehicles built by those two specific manufacturers.
Deputies say it’s important for residents who own these vehicles to be aware of the risks and research ways to further protect your vehicles from potential theft by contacting your dealership for options or purchasing aftermarket anti-theft devices.
