SHORELINE, Wash. — A Shoreline pot shop was the latest victim of a very common trend in smash-and-grab burglaries utilizing a stolen KIA.
The King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) responded to The Kushery Lake Forest Park early on Tuesday morning just before 3 a.m. after reports of a burglary.
A stolen white KIA was found at the scene with significant front-end damage, which appears to be from it smashing into the entrance of the pot shop.
Deputies at the scene confirm that at least 3 suspects were involved in the break-in, but it is unclear how much cash or products they made off with. A second vehicle was likely involved that the suspects used to flee the scene after the break-in.
In early December, a pot shop in Edmonds was the victim of a nearly identical crime involving a stolen KIA and an overnight crash-and-grab.
Just a week before that, a pair of carjacking suspects ended up fleeing from an armed robbery in a stolen white KIA.
A group of teens and young adults even refer to themselves as the "Kia Boyz" because of how often these cars are used in robberies and burglaries in the area.
According to a lawsuit filed against the carmaker by Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, the explosion of stealing Kias and Hyundais started as a TikTok challenge with young people showing off and joyriding. In Seattle from 2021-2022, thefts of KIA vehicles increased by 503%.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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