Two 13-year-olds are facing felony charges after leading San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies on a 13-mile pursuit through the city in a Kia Optima that had been taken by armed carjackers. Deputies say the chase ended only after the young driver committed numerous felony violations before finally pulling over, with three juveniles stepping out of the car.
Plate Reader Camera Flags Stolen Kia Within Hours
According to KTLA, armed carjackers took the Kia Optima earlier on October 10. An automated license plate reader spotted the stolen vehicle traveling on 9th Street near Sterling Avenue at 12:37 p.m. that day, alerting deputies, who used the real-time ALPR data to track the car's location before initiating a pursuit, per the outlet's reporting.
San Bernardino has 62 documented ALPR cameras, 46 of them (74 percent) supplied by Flock Safety, according to Finding Flock.
Suspects Refused to Stop Across 13 Miles
Once the pursuit began, the suspect drivers refused to pull over, leading deputies on a chase that stretched 13 miles through San Bernardino before the driver finally surrendered. The station's report notes that two of the juvenile suspects were arrested on charges of felony evading and possession of stolen property, and one of them was already on felony probation for vehicle theft at the time of the chase.
Both arrested juveniles were transported to the San Bernardino juvenile detention center, and authorities have not released further details about the incident, per the same account.
Why Kia Models Keep Turning Up in Joyriding Cases
Possession of a stolen vehicle is itself a wobbler offense under California Penal Code Section 496d(a), punishable by up to one year in county jail as a misdemeanor or up to three years as a felony, as detailed by Shouse Law Group. Prosecutors must prove qualifying conduct involving the vehicle and that the suspect knew it was stolen. Millions of 2011 to 2022 Hyundai and Kia vehicles lacked factory engine immobilizers, a flaw that let thieves bypass ignitions with basic tools like USB cables, according to Engadget. The automakers agreed to a $200 million class-action settlement covering roughly 9 million affected vehicles after the vulnerability fueled a viral social media theft trend.
A Pattern of Juvenile Pursuits in the High Desert
This is not the first time this year that San Bernardino County deputies have chased juveniles in a stolen Kia. In August, deputies in Victorville pursued four juveniles in a stolen gray Kia van, a chase that ended in a foot pursuit and an incidental fire that destroyed a deputy's patrol SUV, with all four young suspects eventually taken into custody.
San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies ask anyone with information about Saturday's carjacking and pursuit to call the Central Station at 909-366-4175. Anonymous tipsters can also reach We-Tip by calling or texting 844-909-3006, or by visiting wetip.com.
