Four boys between the ages of 14 and 16 were arrested Aug. 6 for allegedly breaking into vehicles at the Napleton KIA of Fishers parking lot, 13417 Britton Park Rd.
According to the Fishers Police Dept., officers were called at about 5 a.m. Aug. 6 to the car dealership. The business has a security video monitoring system on the property, which notified the Hamilton County Communications Center that several subjects appeared to be breaking into vehicles.
“Officers arrived in the area to investigate and observed one suspect running north across the property,” according to Fishers police. “At the same time, officers observed a black 2014 KIA Soul exit the parking lot.”
According to police, some officers searched the area on foot with a K-9 unit and a drone but did not locate the suspect who ran away. Other officers pursued the black KIA Soul that was headed northbound in the southbound lanes of Ind. 37.
“The suspect vehicle crossed the median before turning south in the southbound lanes near Greenfield Avenue in Noblesville,” a Fishers Police Department news release stated. “Officers deployed tire deflation devices. The suspect vehicle continued south and crashed near SR 37/I-69 near 116th Street. Four suspects fled from the vehicle on foot.”
The driver was taken into custody shortly after exiting the vehicle, according to police. The three passengers were found hiding in a dumpster.
According to police, the black 2014 KIA Soul was stolen from a residence in Indianapolis. Police stated that six vehicles in the Napleton KIA of Fishers parking lot had been damaged. Two vehicles had smashed windows and five had interior damage, including damage to the steering column and ignition switch.
The driver of the KIA Soul, a 16-year-old boy, has been charged with resisting law enforcement, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, auto theft, criminal mischief and operating a vehicle without a license. The other three boys, two 14-year-olds and one 15-year-old, face charges of resisting law enforcement, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, auto theft and criminal mischief.
The investigation is ongoing, according to the Fishers the Police Department.
Kia and Hyundai vehicles have been targeted for theft in recent months following a TikTok social media challenge that shows viewers how to steal those vehicles that lack an engine immobilizer security feature, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Engine immobilizers prevent a car from starting without an electronic signal from the key.
