MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A self-proclaimed mother of the Kia Boys gang was arrested in connection to several vehicle thefts and break-ins last year, police say.

Ashley Perkins, 39, was charged with theft of property and vehicle burglary after police said they found credit cards, debit cards, and other items taken from vehicles stolen or burglarized over a six-month period inside her home in Northeast Memphis.

In 2022, Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis blamed an increase in car thefts in Memphis on the so-called Kia Boys.

The Kia Boys are young car thieves nationwide who are known for using technology and hacks to steal Kia and Hyundai vehicles. They have even documented their heists and shared them on social media. 

In January, members of the Memphis Police Department Auto Task Force, the Appling Farms Task Force, the Bartlett Police SWAT team, and the Crime Suppression Unit executed a search warrant in the 1300 block of Greenland Road and took Perkins and another person into custody.

Police said they also found stolen social security cards, driver licenses, and a $500 check stolen from a truck belonging to a pastor who was visiting Memphis.

Investigators said Perkins told them she was a Grape Street gang member and the “mother” of the group that goes by the nickname Kia Boys.

They said Perkins told them that several individuals stealing and breaking into automobiles would bring her the IDs, credit cards, and checks from the vehicles, and she would try to buy stuff with them.

Perkins is also charged with forgery. She is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.