Lorain Police deserve credit for crasking auto theft ring

Lorain Police Department officers and detectives deserve credit for relentlessly working to crack an auto theft ring which resulted in several arrests of Lorain residents — including two 13-year-old boys — in connection to more than 50 vehicles stolen.

The Lorain Police Department’s Detective Bureau investigated 50 incidents involving thefts or attempted thefts of Kia and Hyundai automobiles between May 6 and June 15.

Authorities believe the uptick in vehicle thefts was attributed to the operation of a criminal organization of adult and juvenile suspects.

And what’s inconceivable is that two of the suspects are 13 years of age, more than three years away from the legal age to drive in Ohio. The other suspects range in age from 14 to 19.

What’s also hard to comprehend is that the 13-year-old boys and the 14-year-old were on active probation during the time of the crime spree.

Lorain police Detective Sanders Sanchez, the lead investigator, obtained names of persons of interest through investigative means, then forwarded the identities to road officers and the Patrol Impact Team.

On June 9, the Patrol Impact Team and officers responded to a vehicle theft complaint which led them to several suspects at a house in the 2300 block of East 37th Street, where a stolen Hyundai was in the driveway.

As a result, four juveniles and an adult were charged.

But, while responding to an attempted vehicle theft and suspicious persons’ complaint June 15 on the city’s east side, officers located a stolen vehicle in a nearby alley.

A second vehicle in the same area had a broken window, and inside the vehicle were two boys.

Officers arrested another suspect circling the area in a vehicle as a result of the investigation.

Lorain Police Department brass feels Sanchez and the Lorain Police Department Detective Bureau, Patrol Division and Patrol Impact Team should be recognized for their tireless pursuit of the individuals responsible for this crime wave and for their commitment to serving the people of Lorain with integrity and excellence.

We agree.

Busting this ring of alleged car thieves has, at least for a short time, put a dent in these crimes.

Unfortunately, someone probably is waiting to seize the opportunity to resume the thefts.

It’s encouraging that the Lorain Police Department will be involved and will closely monitor the court cases for each of these individuals and urge prosecutors and judges to hold criminals accountable for their crimes of targeting the hardworking citizens of Lorain.

Just last month, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced that a Cuyahoga County grand jury returned an indictment charging 11 individuals on several charges including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity for breaking into 26 car dealerships and stealing vehicles in Northeast Ohio.

Law enforcement agencies included the Amherst Police Department and the North Olmsted Police Department.

O’Malley pointed out that the crime spree caused significant damage to the dealerships they hit, the people they affected and the communities surrounding them from Nov. 2  to March 17.

In addition to the car dealerships, authorities believe the men broke into three apartment complexes in 27 cities in 11 counties and stole 86 vehicles with an estimated value of $5.1 million.

A total of 32 incidents occurred at the 26 dealerships — some dealerships were broken into multiple times — and three additional incidents occurred at three different residential complexes.

According to an Associated Press report from May 22, “TikTok and other social media trends are thrusting performance crimes into the US spotlight” the sharp uptick has been linked to viral videos, posted to TikTok and other social media platforms, teaching people how to start the cars with USB cables and exploit a security vulnerability in some models sold in the US without engine immobilizers, a standard feature on most cars since the 1990s preventing the engine from starting unless the key is present.

In February, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that Hyundai and Kia developed theft deterrent software for millions of their vehicles that lack an immobilizer and will provide it free to vehicle owners.

The software updates the theft alarm software logic to extend the length of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute and requires the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the vehicle on.

It’s unimaginable that boys as young as 13 and 14 years of age are stealing cars.

But the Lorain Police Department, and agencies in other municipalities, deserve credit for their efforts in cracking down on these vehicle theft rings and bringing those responsible to justice.