Four robbers stole an unmarked police car from outside the 45 Precinct’s Detective Bureau in the Bronx early Tuesday morning and drove it on a near 12-hour joyride before crashing it. This appears to be a heist influenced by a popular TikTok challenge.
The black undercover KIA was taken at around 12:30 a.m. and was not seen again until 11:20 a.m. when it was spotted by patrol officers approximately four miles away, resulting in a chase.
The theft is consistent with a TikTok challenge that has been watched millions of times and involves a USB cord being used to bypass the ignition through the steering wheel column. Automobiles from 2010 to 2021 with turn-key ignitions, not push-start with key fobs, are susceptible to this trend.
Recently, the NYPD cautioned Staten Island citizens about the sharp increase in similar grand theft autos. They recommended people to turn to older anti-car theft tech, such as a wheel lock, until car manufacturers can roll out a software update.
Officers interrogated two individuals suspected to be involved, but neither had been charged as of Tuesday afternoon.