JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — Newly released police reports show a string of stolen cars and business burglaries on the First Coast could be connected.
Since December 30, cars have been used to break-in to three GameStop locations on Jacksonville's Westside. Over in Clay County, Clay County Sheriff's Office says it arrested two juveniles for driving a car into a smoke shop in Orange Park Tuesday in an attempt to steal smoke products. The 2020 Silver Kia Soul was stolen from Jacksonville.
In each of these break-ins, Kia's or Hyundai's were used to commit the burglaries.
On January 1, a man living on Paul Howard Drive on Jacksonville's Westside reported his 2015 Kia Soul was stolen from his driveway. He told police he wasn't able to stop the thief, but said the suspects arrived in a Hyundai Sonata parked down the street. The report says the Hyundai was used in the smash and grab burglary of the Game Stop on Applecross Road in Jacksonville that same day. The man's Kia was used in a burglary of a smoke shop in Clay County.
The police report says glass found shattered on the ground where the car was parked is 'consistent to the crime trend involving Kia and Hyundai's.'
"The cars are now the easiest to steal and the most targeted," Auto Basics Service Manager Kevin White said.
Burglars made it into two other Jacksonville GameStop stores this week. A Kia Soul was caught on camera Saturday morning ramming into the store on 103rd Street in Jacksonville. A report says another Kia Soul and stolen Kia Optima were used in the Normandy Blvd burglary Saturday.
Auto Basics Service Manager Kevin White says many Kia and Hyundai models don't have an immobilizer system to protect the car from theft. This means burglars can use items besides the key to start the car.
"Without an immobilizer system, the only thing that has to happen is the ignition has to turn. That can be done by hitting the steering column, taking a screwdriver, and manually turning the ignition system. An immobilizer key is not used on those so any mechanism that will turn the key cylinder will start the car, it doesn't have to see a particular specific code from a key to start the vehicle," White said. "If someone knows exactly what to do, they can probably steal the car within two or three minutes."
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says it is investigating the burglaries. So far it has made no arrests.