INDIANAPOLIS — This weekend, a homeowner intervened as his wife's KIA was allegedly in the process of being stolen.
The homeowner said he and his wife are shaken up after he said he walked outside, caught people attempting to steal their car and was shot at.
"The caller advised he went out to confront the subject who he believed were black males with white mask over their face. The subjects fired 3 shots at him and took off on foot," said 911 dispatch.
A 2017 Kia Sorento is damaged after thieves tried to steal it, according to a police report. A screwdriver, USB cord and bullet casings were left on scene along with a broken front door.
"Actually, the door to his house got shot so it shattered the front part of the glass," said Drew Craig.
The homeowners are thankful to be ok, but shocked.
Neighbors, Drew Craig and Will Winkley heard the commotion.
"I was out back of my house and all I heard was about 3 to 4 gunshots and I came around the corner to check. The white Kia down the street had 4 doors open. I ran back inside and told my fiancé to call the police and lock the doors," said Craig.
"There were some kids running down the street, and then you actually heard gunshots," said Winkley.
They said the suspects were wearing ski masks.
No one was injured in the shooting, but Winkley said it could've been worse.
"We all have children in these houses. We all have family in these houses and then these kids that were stealing this car, took shots without thinking about the ramifications of where those bullets were gonna go. That's a shame," said Winkley.
Kia's are a hot commodity across Indianapolis.
IMPD said so far this year, more than 960 Kias have been stolen compared to 133 last year.
Nearly 650 have been vandalized compared to last year's 120.
"It's concerning for our agency. We've had a spike in not only the thefts in those motor vehicles but property damage or criminal mischief to those vehicles," said PIO William Young.
"Well, I think it's Kia's responsibility. First off, I mean, you've manufactured a car that people are able to steal with just a couple of simple tools. So, Kia needs to do something to fix that but more than that, I mean, our city's got to have some kind of safety put in place, so our families aren't getting shot at," said Winkley.
In hopes to crack down on car thefts, police are giving out free steering wheel locks.
"It's not an end all be all, but it helps. Place it on the steering wheel. It has a locking mechanism. You have to have a key to use it. It's not just for Kias. It's for any vehicle and civilians can pick these up at any of our 6 districts for free," said Young.
Young also encourages you to keep your car locked and in a well-lit area to help discourage thieves and vandals.
The city is seeking reimbursement for thefts. It joined the national class action lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai in July.
