Police warning motorists in the Falls to lock up their cars and enjoy their stay

Rick Pfeiffer AND Mark Scheer, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
·4 min read
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Aug. 29—NIAGARA FALLS — Motorists traveling down Niagara Street, heading toward the Rainbow Bridge, are getting some valuable advice curtesy of the Falls Police Department's Traffic Division.

An electronic sign, positioned on Niagara Street just before the First Street intersection, directs drivers to park in the former Rainbow Mall parking ramp, advises them to lock the doors of their vehicles when they park and take any valuables with them, and then cheerily tells them to "Enjoy Your Stay!"

Traffic Division officers placed the sign in the South End Tourist district in recent days as part of an effort to combat an alarming rise in vehicle thefts and break-ins.

Police Superintendent John Faso said the officers found the signs "in mothballs" in a police storage unit and decided to take advantage of them to send a message to visitors and residents alike.

"I think it sends an important message," Faso said. "Locking vehicle doors and taking valuables is a good practice that people need to be reminded about."

The Falls, like communities across the U.S., has been victimized by a viral TikTok driven crime wave known as the Kia Challenge. The challenge, which originated in late 2021, involves stealing KIA and Hyundai vehicles and posting the results on the TikTok social media platform.

The thefts have been aided by the social media disclosure of a flaw in the vehicle's anti-theft systems that allows them to be easily started after a vehicle is entered. Buffalo and its surrounding suburbs have been plagued by an organized group of teens, known as the KIA Boys, who have engaged in hundreds of vehicle thefts as part of the viral challenge.

Faso said that activity has quickly spread to the Falls.

"They steal the vehicles (in Buffalo) and bring them here," the police superintendent said. "And then they steal vehicles here to go back to Buffalo."

Traffic Division Crash Management Unit investigators believe that was what two Cheektowaga teens were doing prior to a spectacular crash on the Niagara Scenic Parkway Saturday morning.

On Friday morning, a Falls Police patrol officer reported finding a 2017 Hyundai Sonata in the parking lot of a Prospect Point hotel with the rear passenger window smashed out and the ignition "pinched out." The car was confirmed as stolen from Cheektowaga four days earlier.

Police also reported multiple vehicle break-ins from late Thursday into Friday morning. Just after midnight Saturday, officers investigated the theft of a 2015 Kia Optima from the 2600 block of Walnut Avenue.

At about 8 a.m. Saturday, police responded to calls reporting the theft of a white Hyundai Sonata from the parking lot of the DoubleTree Hotel and the theft of a blue Kia Elantra from the parking lot of the Holiday Inn. Both hotels are located in the 400 block of Buffalo Avenue.

Officers began to look for the vehicles, and a patrol officer spotted the stolen Hyundai with the stolen Kia driving right behind it. When the officer activated the emergency lights on his patrol car, both the Hyundai and Kia sped away, going east on to the parkway.

As the stolen vehicles came down the parkway, with an officer in pursuit, they encountered another police patrol car in front of them. The driver of the Hyundai attempted to speed past the police car in front of him, but was struck by the Kia.

Crash investigators said the Kia blew a tire and the driver lost control of the vehicle as he attempted to merge back into traffic. The Kia crashed into the Hyundai causing the Kia to rollover and ejecting the driver, identified as a 16-year-old from Cheektowaga.

Police said the driver of the badly damaged Hyundai, identified as a 15-year-old from Cheektowaga, then pulled over and was taken into custody.

The Kia driver was taken to the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, where he had been treated for a broken arm and internal injuries. Police have not released an update on his condition.

The Hyundai driver sustained no serious injuries. Crash management investigators said charges are pending against both teens.

Around noon Saturday, police said they found a stolen Kia Soul in the parking lot of a Rainbow Boulevard hotel. The vehicle was running and had a flat tire, a smashed side back window and a damaged steering column.

Investigators said they believe the vehicle, which was reported stolen from Cheektowaga is tied to the teens involved in the parkway crash.

On Sunday, police investigated at least four vehicle break-in reports at South End hotels.

A Buffalo teen was sentenced in Niagara County Court on Aug. 18 to 3- to 9-years behind bars for his guilty plea to one count of third-degree grand larceny and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property in connection with stealing or possessing 10 stolen Kia or Hyundai vehicles in the Falls.