Second car stolen from outside the KC Ronald McDonald House, found undrivable
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Less than a week after a family’s car and medical supplies were stolen from outside the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City, a second car is now gone. The latest victim also has a child dealing with severe health issues.
Police said it is too early to tell if these crimes are connected. However, both cars stolen from outside the Ronald McDonald House are Kias, a popular make among thieves.
The cars were also recovered by police in a similar location.
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A theft report that feels like déjà vu. Just like the first victim, Denise Johnson woke up and found an empty parking spot.
“I went out to clean my car out, actually, and it was gone, and for a second, I thought maybe I was losing my mind,” said Johnson.
Her son Ethan has battled leukemia on and off since he was 5 years old. Ethan is now 10 and has been in the hospital for over a month.
People staying at the Ronald McDonald House are there because they have sick children. Denise couldn’t understand why someone would cause additional pain to families.
“I feel like that’s a terrible thing to do. I feel really terrible for the other family that had to deal with that. It’s just awful, I mean, it feels very violating in a way,” said Johnson.
Tami Greenberg, the CEO of Ronald McDonald House Kansas City, believes they are now part of a trend of Kia thefts.
“These two vehicle thefts that happened in the last week were both the same brand of car, and as I understand it, there’s this whole thing going around on social media on how to make it easy to steal this type of car,” said Greenberg.
The nonprofit has changed its nightly security to make certain this does not happen again.
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“More assurance that our families’ cars are being watched over while they sleep because when they wake up, they go back up to Children’s Mercy Hospital to be with their children who are sick,” said Greenberg.
The Kansas City Missouri Police Department said both cases are still open, and no arrests have been made.
Johnson’s car was found by police, and she was told it was undesirable.
If you have a Kia, the company has introduced a new theft deterrent device. Kia’s owners can get a free upgrade until Aug. 1 of this year. They can contact their local dealership for more information.
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