A crime reporter for Cleveland.com who’d reported on rampant Kia thefts had her own 2020 Kia Forte stolen just before the New Year.
Molly Walsh covered the hardships people faced when the Kia Boyz spree of car thefts came to Cleveland. The Korean automaker began distributing a free ignition cylinder protector (along with window decals) last month that it hopes will finally end the persistent thefts and serve as a deterrent against potential break-ins.
Walsh wasn’t so fortunate and found shattered glass in the spot where she had parked her Kia. She recounts her first-hand experience of having her car stolen on the website:
My car was stolen in Ohio City on Dec. 30, a mere 10 yards from where I was sitting in my friend’s living room while we gossiped and laughed about the trials and tribulations we had faced in 2023. Add this to my list. And add me to the list of hundreds of people in Cuyahoga County who had their cars stolen last year.
I am able to laugh at the irony: The crime reporter who covered the Kia Boyz had her Kia stolen. But the jokes are just a mechanism to cope with the struggle that I, and thousands of people nationwide, must fight through.
The theft made Walsh even more aware of how destructive a stolen vehicle can be to someone’s life. A car is usually someone’s only reliable form of transportation in the United States to earn a living or purchase necessities. Walsh mentioned how much of a financial burden it was to buy her Kia and pay off the loan needed to make the purchase. The police did eventually find the Forte, but it wasn’t in great condition:
Fortunately, police found my car four days later, on Thursday. I won’t be driving my car for weeks, as it suffered heavy damage, but I have to keep making payments.
Cars are regularly being stolen from hard-working people in Cuyahoga County who are just trying to do their best. I lost my car but have found a greater sense of empathy for the victims I speak with regularly.
Along with telling her own story, Walsh doesn’t hesitate all of the people she has spoken with while covering the Kia Boyz crisis who haven’t been as fortunate. Be sure to read this piece and others about specific Kia Boyz thefts at Cleveland.com.