A woman has spoken out after her car was destroyed by people who she believes committed the act after being inspired by a viral TikTok challenge.
On Saturday, 16 July, at around 2:00am in Lapel, Indiana, Alissa Smart was woken up by her niece who informed her her car had been broken into, her belongings stolen and her vehicle wrecked.
Smart has since attributed the incident to the 'Kia challenge' currently circulating on TikTok, calling the trend out as 'disgusting' and contesting why such content is allowed on the platform.
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Smart explained how 'angry' she was when she first discovered her Kia had been broken into.
She told Fox 59: "I was scared, anxious and confused on how someone could see two car seats and a diaper bag and still commit such a monstrous act."
While she doesn't know who broke into her car, Smart is 'leaning towards a teenager'.
"Based on the fact they stole bicycles along the way & then Mountain Dew from my parents garage and ditched it all up the road to come back and try to steal my Kia Soul," she explained.
Smart also detailed how there were 'power tools, keys in [her] mom's truck ignition and [her] dad's truck was unlocked with $160 and thousands of dollars of tools,' yet the robber decided to focus on her Kia.
She explained: "The keys were in one of my parents’ vehicles on the property. If they wanted to steal a car, it would’ve been much easier to take that truck.
"Instead they busted out my window and tried to hotwire my Kia Soul before my niece walked outside and they took off running on foot."
While she has reported the incident to Lapel Police, Smart has been left unable to get her car fixed due to the hefty price of the vehicle's repairs, with it estimated as costing a whopping $400 just to get a window replacement.
She said: "I can’t afford to fix my vehicle, which leaves me and my two children without our only mode of transportation.
"Not to mention they stole my wallet that included my ID & my children’s medical cards with their full names and date of births. I feel violated and scared."
Smart believes the break-in was inspired by the 'Kia challenge' which has been going round on TikTok.
The 'Kia challenge' first began when two men revealed you can start a Kia car with just a USB cable. The video has since been replicated by multiple other users across the platform.
Smart concluded: "Lapel is a small community and I’ve lived here for 20 years, over 2/3 of my life. Nothing like this has ever happened where a window is broken to steal from a car. The police stated that to me.
"[...] This trend absolutely makes me feel disgusted. It’s really beyond me that people think it’s okay to post criminal acts, let alone participate in them after seeing them online."
UNILAD has contacted TikTok and Kia for comment.
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Poppy Bilderbeck