A user on TikTok has gone viral after detailing how she tracked down her stolen car after the police did not help in a timely manner. In a clip with over 514,000 views, TikTok user Maddie (@damnitmadeline) says that she previously had her Kia vehicle stolen. Then, soon after buying a new Kia, it too was stolen.
Kia and Hyundai models have significantly increased in thefts in recent years—as an internet trend spread over how easy they are to swipe. Per CNN, Kia and Hyundai thefts increased by 1,000% since 2020. Last year, Kia introduced a new device for those unable to update software that provides greater theft deterrent and protection.
After Maddie’s second car was stolen, she says her new Kia had tracking capabilities that allowed her to see where her car was. Thinking that this would assist in its recovery, she contacted the police. The police, she says, were initially unhelpful.
“As I’m on the phone, I can see that my car is one mile away from my apartment. I could walk to it,” the TikToker explains, recounting her conversation with the police. “So I say, ‘No, it’s at this address—like, go there,’ and she said, ‘No, you have to report it stolen first.’ And I said, ‘It’s stolen! What do you mean?!’”
Upon hanging up, she saw that her car continued to move. Frustrated, she called the police twice more, both times being told that little could be done in the moment.
Hearing this, Maddie decided to take matters into her own hands.
“It becomes clear to me [that] the dedicated police force designed to protect my safety and the safety of my belongings is not coming for me in a timely manner,” she says. “So I text my best friend, who also is a school teacher, and I say, ‘Hey, would you like to, I don’t know, go find my car? Because I know exactly where it is.’ And she said, ‘No problem.’”
Eventually, the group tracked Maddie’s car to a Walmart parking lot, where they again called the police. This time, Maddie says, the response was swift.
Unfortunately, Maddie says that the thieves were onto the group and decided to drive away. While the group briefly followed the car, they eventually lost it at an exit and were told by the police to not continue their pursuit. Instead, Maddie says she observed police cars quickly heading in the direction of her vehicle—and so, she decided to follow the police.
“We go to find it and it’s totaled so bad, so bad. And a bunch of people are in the hospital now. Really scary,” she explains.
In both this and her previous instance of theft, Maddie says that her experience with the police was largely unhelpful.
“So the moral of the story is, if your vehicle gets stolen, do not call the police. Call me and my two co-workers and we’ll find it,” she concludes.
This isn’t the first story of car theft to go viral on the platform. Last year, a user documented their experience tracking down a car that had been stolen from them. Later, another user alleged that her car had been stolen 3 times in a single year.
@damnitmadeline I’m law enforcement now guys you heard it here first #fyp #foryoupage #storytime #gta #car #fml #funny #cc ♬ Lofi/Fashionable/Rose Piano/10 minutes(1455693) – nightbird_bgm
In the comments section, users expressed disbelief at Maddie’s actions and the police’s response.
“As a dispatcher, that first call should have been considered an in progress right now send someone call. I’m so sorry this happened to you,” wrote a commenter.
“When my car got stolen and had a bunch of evidence the cop told me it was a bad time and that they wouldn’t catch the guy anyway. So asking for the evidence was a step better I guess,” added another.
“My parents stolen minivan, that I picked up from the impound lot, had the screwdriver they used to pry open the front door and a bag with documents in it. The police didn’t want it!!” exclaimed a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Maddie via TikTok direct message.
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