NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — Gerard Spooner said he was startled awake at 4 a.m. on Aug. 4th by police officers at his Rocky River home.
“I had police pounding on my bedroom window with flashlights asking if I owned a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. And they said, ‘Is it here?’ And I said, ‘No,’” Spooner recalled.
He explained he had dropped the car off at the North Olmsted Hyundai dealership on Aug. 1st to have a recurring power steering issue fixed. The officers at his home three days later told him the same vehicle had just been involved in a collision with Elyria Police and was likely totaled.
“First of all, [it was] a shock at 4 in the morning to find out your car was stolen,” he said.
According to police reports, the car was stolen from the North Olmsted dealership that morning and driven to Elyria. Witnesses reported seeing suspects from the car checking door handles at the Elyria Honda dealership. When officers responded, they found the suspects in the adjacent Hyundai dealership attempting to break into a vehicle on the lot. It took off when officers approached and crashed into a cruiser while fleeing.
One officer suffered minor injuries in the collision. Four suspects in Spooner’s Hyundai Sonata were arrested and subsequently charged with a number of counts, including breaking and entering, receiving stolen property and felonious assault.
Spooner said North Olmsted Police found the vehicle was stolen from the dealership lot around 2 a.m., Aug. 4. Surveillance video showed the suspects spent about 45 minutes there, discovered Spooner’s vehicle was unlocked and took off in the 2017 Hyundai Sonata.
Photos show the steering column was damaged during the theft. A service manager told Spooner it could be related to a social media trend.
“He told us that there’s some kind of a TikTok video or something that’s out, explaining to people how easy it is to steal the cars,” he said.
Police have not officially connected the theft to the referenced TikTok video. Other agencies around the country have issued warnings about the trend. It describes how to bypass the ignition system of Kia and Hyundai cars using a USB charger cable and a screwdriver.
It applies to 2011-2021 model Kia vehicles and Hyundai vehicles made between 2015 and 2021, all of which have a keyed start.
Westlake Police have reported Kia and Hyundai thefts in recent weeks. Between Aug. 5-11, five Kias and 1 Hyundai were stolen during overnight hours from four separate apartment complexes in the city. Some of the vehicles have been recovered, but no arrests have been made in the cases.
Likewise, Westlake investigators cannot definitively link the thefts to the TikTok trend. They are issuing a warning to any would-be thieves.
“It’s a felony, first of all,” said Westlake Captain Jerry Vogel. “You could get into a lot of trouble. Now the police are going to respond if they see your car driving around and it’s reported stolen.
Spooner believes the Hyundai dealership where his car was stolen should bear more responsibility.
Representatives there told him the dealership was not liable for the theft and pointed to a clause in the paperwork he signed when dropping the car off for service. It said the dealership was not responsible for theft, damage or any other cause beyond its control.
“If they were aware it was happening, what bothers me is they didn’t go to any lengths to try to prevent that from happening,” Spooner said.
He contends the dealership should have locked the vehicle, parked it in a more secure formation and monitored surveillance video more closely.
The Hyundai dealership did not return News 5’s requests for comment at the time this story aired.
The Hyundai company responded to an inquiry, saying it is concerned about the trend and is attempting to remedy the situation.
A media representative said via email, “Hyundai has been working with and will continue to support local police departments to make steering wheel locks available for affected Hyundai owners.”
She added the company plans to offer security kits, beginning Sept. 1, that targets the method of entry thieves are using. Hyundai plans to release more details at a later date.
Westlake Police shared several tips for all drivers to protect their vehicles:
- Lock your doors and take your keys
- Don’t leave a spare key in the vehicle
- Close all windows
- Park in well-lit and high traffic areas
- Install an alarm system and anti-theft device
- Install a vehicle immobilizer system and/or tracking system
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
