Kia-themed crime spree in Victoria involves one police car among seven thefts

11 hours ago 7

Over a 22-day period, one man allegedly stole seven cars in Victoria, including an unmarked Kia Sorento police car stolen from a dealership.


Max Stevens
Kia-themed crime spree in Victoria involves one police car among seven thefts

An alleged thief with no licence and a penchant for Kias appears to have stolen one police car and six other vehicles across a 22 day spree.

Timeline of alleged car thefts

  • 22 March - Kia Stinger sedan from Warrandyte
  • 22 March - Kia Stinger sedan from Dandenong
  • 7 April - Chevrolet utility from Kialla
  • 10 April - Kia Sorento unmarked police car from Shepparton
  • 10 April - Holden Calais sedan from Clyde
  • 12 April - Toyota Hilux from Echuca
  • 13 April - Ford Falcon from Orrvale 

Where vehicle theft increased and decreased in Victoria in 2025

Figures released last month show Victoria recorded 32,013 motor vehicle theft offences in 2025, a 10 per cent increase from 2024, and the highest total number in more than 20 years.

All vehicles allegedly stolen by the one 29 year old Shepparton man, except the Ford Falcon, have been recovered. 

Other than the seven counts of motor vehicle theft, the accused individual has been charged with a variety of other offences.

Offences include the use of Victoria Police identification, trafficking methylamphetamine, possessing GHB, dealing in proceeds of crime, possessing an offensive weapon, two counts of theft, obtaining property by deception, unlicenced driving, and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

The man was due to appear in Shepparton Magistrates Court on 20 April.

Max Stevens

Max is the News Publishing Coordinator for Drive. He enjoys creating engaging digital content, including videos, podcasts, interactive maps, and graphs. Prior to Drive, he studied at Monash University and gained experience working for various publications. He grew up playing Burnout 3: Takedown on the PS2 and was disappointed when real life car races didn’t have the same physics.

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