KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Five teenagers were arrested Monday in a stolen Kia after fleeing Kent County deputies.
The stolen vehicle was first spotted by deputies in the area of 60th Street SE and Kalamazoo Avenue around 9 p.m. The vehicle fled when deputies initiated a traffic stop, and deputies briefly pursued the vehicle before ending the chase.
Around 1:15 a.m., deputies spotted the stolen vehicle again, which fled. It ran over spike strips and turned onto Division Avenue, eventually coming to a stop on Regal Avenue.
Five teenagers—two 15-year-old boys, two 17-year-old boys and one 16-year-old girl—were taken into custody.
"The KCSO has continued to report a significant uptick in stolen cars over the past few years," officials said in a press release. "Dangerous driving, stolen vehicles used in additional crimes, and the young age of the individuals involved are common factors."
In all of 2022, 415 vehicles were stolen in Kent County. 112 of those were either KIA or Hyundai's.
So far in 2023,109 vehicles have been stolen. 24 of those being KIA or Hyundai's.
KCSO Arrests Five Teens After Pursuit
The Kia was determined to be stolen out of Jenison.
The investigation is underway. The Kent County Prosecutor's Office will review it upon completion.
Prosecutor Chris Becker says he has been charging juvenile offenders but the juvenile system is meant to rehabilitate, not to punish.
"A: Juvenile detention is not as big as the Kent County Correctional Facility so we don't have the opportunity to lodge as many juveniles as we could," said Becker. "And B: the juvenile code basically says we're supposed to look at the least restrictive means necessary."
However, if juveniles have a history of stealing cars, Becker says they can be moved into the adult court system. Age and the crimes they comitted are determining factors.
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