Car thefts in King, Pierce counties dip following arrests of ‘Kia Boyz’ across region

Washington state has seen a dip in monthly car thefts, and authorities are crediting “several key arrests” of so-called “Kia Boyz.”

According to the latest data from the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force, reported car thefts are down 21% statewide between 2023 and 2024. In King and Pierce counties, the average daily number of reported car thefts has ticked down from 78 last August, to 71 in September, 66 in December, and then down to 62 in January.

This is after a handful of arrests of self-proclaimed “Kia Boyz,” who over the last year had surfaced on social media frequently boasting about cars they had reportedly stolen.

One arrest in recent months included 18-year-old Saylen Kelly, who allegedly helped steal 13 cars between October 2023 and January 2024. A month before that, Bellevue police arrested 18-year-olds Ralphe Manuma and Ardell Davis as suspects in a series of gas station robberies and car thefts.

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