JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Seven minors have been arrested in a rash of auto thefts, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Wednesday afternoon.
The oldest arrested is 15 years old and the youngest is 10 years old.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Waters said the youths are not gang-affiliated, but they are responsible for many crimes.
The kids stole cars not for profit, but to impress girls, the sheriff said.
RELATED: ‘We didn’t know what was headed our way:’ Stolen Kia crashes near gas station
Waters said the kids arrested were behind a stolen car that crashed into a ditch in the New Town neighborhood on Aug. 2.
Action News Jax showed you several angles of surveillance video that showed the crash and the kids running away from police.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Waters said that the suspects learned how to hotwire Kias from social media.
It’s part of the nationwide trend in thefts of certain models of Kias and Hyundais. Waters said there has been a 95% increase nationally between 2021 and 2022.
Last year in Jacksonville, Waters said there were 198 “of these types of vehicles stolen.” This year, so far, there have been 711, he said.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
