MEMPHIS, Tenn.– Two teens, ages 14 and 16, were charged with theft and evading arrest after police say they stole a car in the Medical District Saturday night.
The driver of the Kia Sportage said he parked his car near the intersection of Linden Avenue and MLK Boulevard, and when he returned forty minutes later, the vehicle was gone.
Police said Monday afternoon, they spotted the stolen Kia Sportage near Watkins and Vollintine.
Officers tried to pull over the car but said the driver refused to stop. They found the Kia in the 1100 block of North Lexington Circle, but no one was inside the vehicle.
Police said the 14-year-old and 16-year-old were arrested after someone saw them run into a house in the area.
Last month, the Memphis Police Department reported a 93% increase in auto thefts and said Kias, Hyundais, and Infinitis were the most stolen vehicles in the city.
“It’s the make of the steering columns on some models and makes of both Kia and Hyundai; unfortunately, this is a nationwide thing,” said Deputy Chief Joe Oakley. . “Infiniti’s are easy to steal because of key fob programmers.”
The police department also partnered with Kia and gave away 500 steering wheel locks on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Investigators have not said how the teens were able to steal the Kia on Linden.
