Aberdeen Police Make Arrests In Connection To String Of Vehicle Thefts

ABERDEEN - The Aberdeen Police Department announced on Thursday that they had made arrests in connection to a string of vehicle thefts in the area.

According to police, at least ten vehicles have been stolen over the last six weeks in Aberdeen. Several of these vehicles were later found with bashed-in windows, and two were found completely burned in Baltimore.

Police have arrested 19-year-old Paul Lamoon Jr. of Baltimore in connection to four of the stolen vehicles. Lamoon is also suspected of damaging another five vehicles, according to officials.

Additionally, police said that they arrested a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy in connection to the crimes.

Aberdeen police said they believe the crimes to be connected to a Tik Tok trend targeting Kia and Hyundai cars.

Certain makes and models of 2010-2021 Kia and Hyundai vehicles that use a mechanical key, not a key fob and push-button to start the car, are vulnerable to an attack demonstrated on Tik Tok. These vehicles are not equipped with an "immobilizer," a device that prevents a car from moving if the wrong key or no key is used to start the vehicle.

Police have also arrested 20-year-old Micah Christy of Edgewood. According to police, he has been charged with witness intimidation for allegedly threatening one of the victims for reporting that their vehicle was stolen.