11-year-old ‘Kia Boy’ arrested for alleged month-long crime spree

An 11-year-old from New Mexico has been arrested after allegedly going on a month-long crime spree including shooting people, stealing cars and crashing a stolen vehicle into a storefront.

Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina said it was “disappointing to see (an) 11-year-old arrested” but the boy was “a danger to the community.”

“Kids need consequences,” Medina wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “We need to do something about the toxic mix of guns and social media.”

Disappointing to see a 11-year-old arrested for a crimes – from burglary to shooting a firearm. But this armed individual's behavior was escalating and he was a danger to the community. We need to do something about the toxic mix of guns and social media. Kids need consequences.

— APD Chief of Police (@ABQPoliceChief) <a href=«https://twitter.com/ABQPoliceChief/status/1799213108558544900?ref_src=» https:>June 7, 2024

The 11-year-old was allegedly part of a group of juveniles known as the “Kia Boyz” who were known to frequent the area, according to a 12-year-old victim who called police when the group tried to break into her home. She was able to identify some of the minors to police.

“Kia Boys” are an internet trend that extends far beyond Albuquerque. The Kia Boys aren’t one single group, but rather a collection of teens and youth who use a particular hack to break into Kia vehicles. The surprisingly simple technique only requires a USB and something like a screwdriver to pry open the car’s steering column.

The car thieves often film themselves hot-wiring and taking cars for joyrides, sometimes crashing the vehicles and driving erratically. The footage is then uploaded to social media for clout, prompting other young people to try the illegal stunt too. The