HAZEL GREEN — Participants in a so-called “Kia Challenge” are suspected in a chain of stolen Kia vehicles in Madison County.
According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, evidence collected at each scene indicates these incidents are connected to a viral TikTok trend commonly referred to as the “Kia Challenge” or “Kia Boyz.” The trend targets certain Kia models that can be more easily manipulated to start without a key.
The trend, which started in 2023, challenges teens to steal a car off the street by breaking into the car, popping off the steering wheel column and hot wiring the vehicle using a USB cable, similar to the wire used to charge a phone…