‘He’s gone,’ cries driver as car thefts soar – he found ‘stripped’ SUV and cops now offer anti-theft update

LOCALS are doing everything they can to prevent their vehicles from being stolen – so far, nothing is working.

To help combat it, owners of vulnerable vehicles can get a free anti-theft software update.

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Jesus Barerra’s sister visited him in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, a few months ago and parked her Ford Explorer near his home.

As Jesus walked her to her car after her shift, they were both shocked.

“I got home from work, parked and the next morning we went to leave her in the car and it was gone,” he told CW affiliate Primetime. KTLA.

“It took a lot of self-investigation. We had to take a walk around the neighborhood and luckily we found it, but a few months later.”

Barrera felt defeated by the loss, saying the region had already suffered.

“I feel frustrated,” he said.

“We’ve dealt with this as a community.”

The months it took to find her car gave the thieves enough time to remove essential parts from the car, a problem the LAPD acknowledges is a problem.

The Barrera incident is not isolated — Crosstown analyzed city data and determined that between January 1 and April 29, more than 2,000 vehicles were stolen in North Hollywood alone.

Compared to 2023, this means an increase of 39% or more 134 cars stolen in the same period.

The LAPD reported that the region saw an increase in vehicle theft reports last year, with 608 more cars – or a 29.3% increase.

Other Los Angeles neighborhoods like Lake View Terrace, Sun Valley, Arleta and Shadow Hills have also seen a shocking increase in robberies, according to Intreim Chief Choi.

“The Foothill Division has the highest percentage increase in the city, 51.6% or more 131 motor vehicle thefts,” he said.

“Once again, the top stolen vehicles continue to be Kias, Chevrolets and Hyundais.”

Monique Ocegueda and her boyfriend, both Kias owners, took extra measures to keep their vehicles protected.

“Me, close friends and my boyfriend all have Kias,” she said.

“So the only thing we can do is add cameras and have really good insurance. It’s a shame that people have the opportunity to take something you’re paying for.”

How to prevent vehicle theft

Here are 10 ways to prevent your car from being stolen, according to one car insurance company:

1. Lock your doors. This makes it more difficult for thieves to access anything inside the vehicle.
2. Keep your keys with you. With smart keys and remote controls, a car can be unlocked if the key is nearby. If the key is inside or on you, it cannot be unlocked.
3. Don’t leave the spare key near the vehicle, as thieves know to look for it in common places, such as the wheel well, under items in the garage or in the glove compartment.
4. Keep windows closed. If a window is open, thieves can unlock the doors manually.
5. Park in well-lit areas as this helps deter thieves if their actions are visible to passersby.
6. If your vehicle doesn’t have one, consider an anti-theft alarm system.
7. If you live in a high-crime area, consider an immobilizer device that utilizes a kill switch if the device does not recognize an authorized key.
8. Consider a tracking device so you can control the location of your vehicle if it is stolen.
9. Never leave valuables in the car, especially in a visible place. Thieves know to look for valuables in the floorboards, passenger or back seats.
10. Check before leaving the vehicle that it is safe.

Source: Allstate Auto Insurance

Kia and Hyundai form the Hyundai Motor Group, which was the victim of a TikTok trend called “Kia Boyz” that provoked users to steal certain Kia or Hyundai vehicles that did not have immobilizer devices on the ignition key.

Several major U.S. cities have taken legal action against the automaker after thefts spiked as part of the social media trend.

To help curb further thefts, Kia and Hyundai have partnered with the LAPD to offer vehicle owners a free software update that acts as an engine kill switch if it does not detect an authorized key after being turned on.

The event takes place at Eagle Rock Plaza from May 17th to 19th, from 8am to 6pm.

The LAPD will also be donating steering wheel locks to the owners.