NJ teen arrested in stunning Bayonne car theft crime spree

🚗 Jersey City teen faces dozens of charges

🚗 He targeted Hyundai and Kia models, police said

🚗 Arrested after a high-speed police chase

BAYONNE — Police say one teenager from Jersey City is facing 41 charges for a recent wave of stolen vehicles.

A 13-year-old male teen is accused of stealing or trying to steal cars on 14 separate occasions between Feb. 16 and March 4.

The car thief, who was not named, targeted only Hyundais and Kias during the 18-day crime spree, according to Bayonne police.

In each case, the victim's car had a side window broken. Most cars that weren't stolen showed signs of tampering with the vehicle's steering column, indicating an attempt to steal the vehicle.

RELATED: 'Kia boys,' a teen gang inspired by TikTok, fuel crime in NJ

Cars manufactured by Hyundai and Kia have become enticing targets for car thieves in recent years after TikTok videos showed how to steal them using only a USB cable.

The teen was arrested on Monday night after a high-speed police chase in Bayonne involving a stolen vehicle, according to police.

Authorities said officers were responding to a report of a stolen 2015 Hyundai around 10:30 p.m. Nearby, they found a different car, a 2013 Hyundai, with its side window broken and the engine running.

Soon after, officers in the area saw the 2015 Hyundai blow by.

Police started a high-speed chase on Avenue B but it quickly came to an end when the vehicle turned onto a nearby dead-end street.

Officers saw the teen get out and run. He was arrested in the backyard of a home on West 51st Street.

The teen is charged with six counts of motor vehicle theft, five counts of attempted motor vehicle theft, 13 counts of burglary, 13 counts of criminal mischief, two counts of receiving stolen property, and one count each of resisting arrest and eluding.

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