GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Malissa Webber says the colloquial name "Kia Boiz" doesn't fit the group of people who are stealing cars around Grand Rapids.
"I hate calling them by their name because I want to just call them juvenile a******* delinquents," Webber said.
Her car was stolen from her northeast Grand Rapids apartment complex on July 1, and ultimately found on Wealthy street.
Her stuff inside her car was found behind GRPS University.
“They took everything out of the trunk, everything out of the back seat. Just, discarded it like it was trash,” Webber said.
Her Kia, which she bought new, with her hard-earned money, is just one of the dozens stolen in and around Grand Rapids in recent months.
“It’s a Kia, you can laugh. But it was mine. It was my car. It only had 10,100 miles on it. I took care of this car. It was brand new when I purchased it,” Webber said.
Webber admits, she heard about the thefts but never thought it'd happen to her. She did everything right: parked between cars, and in well-lit areas. She says the thieves have even figured out a way to not trip the car's alarm system. She says it's just a matter of time before things get worse.
“They’re out there driving recklessly on our streets. Somebody’s gonna get hurt,” Webber said.
The thieves also crashed Webber's car. It still doesn't run. She says they broke in and stole it using her own USB cord, which they also stole.
Below is a monthly breakdown of vehicle thefts in Grand Rapids.
Here's a look at the number of Grand Rapids vehicle thefts compared with previous years.
The map below shows the percentage of change from 2021 to 2022 based on service area.
