Students find vehicles stolen from campus

In October and November, Campus Safety reported an increase in car theft and vehicle break-ins. 

On Nov. 2, a Hyundai parked in the Solberg Hall parking lot and a Hyundai parked on Grange Avenue were stolen from campus. Later that night, an additional two Hyundai vehicles were subject to attempted theft. 

Rick Tupper, associate vice president of Campus Safety and logistics, said students are doing everything right in regards to keeping their vehicles protected, which is why the incidents are so concerning.

Video footage revealed that the suspects wandered through parking lots before choosing a vehicle to break into and attempt to steal.

“If they see an item they want in your car, they will try the car door first, then they’ll smash a window,” Tupper said. 

According to Tupper, six cars were broken into from Nov. 10 to Nov. 17 alone. He said car thefts and break-ins have happened in the past on campus but not to this extent.

The incidents are part of a larger trend of increasing numbers of stolen vehicles in Sioux Falls. According to the Sioux Falls Police Department’s 2022 annual report, 1,361 vehicles were reported stolen in 2022, up by more than 1,000 since 2012. 

A report from Keloland shows that just over 1,000 vehicles were reported stolen in Sioux Falls in 2023 by the beginning of September. 

Tupper said owners of Hyundais are specifically being targeted thanks to a step-by-step tutorial that has been circulating online. 

At first, freshman Emma Boots assumed her Hyundai Sonata had been towed from Grange Avenue but then she found shattered glass in place of where her car had been parked. 

She later learned that the suspects used a screwdriver to take the ignition off, which was found in the vehicle. They then used a USB port to start it. Only cash was stolen.

Boots’ car has since been recovered. When she went to pick up the car, she discovered that her windows had been smashed, the ignition was missing and a rearview mirror had fallen off. The back bumper was also damaged. 

“I didn’t think anyone would want my car,” Boots said. 

Paint was found on the exterior of Boots’ vehicle. Video footage shows suspects engaging in a paintball fight and playing bumper cars. Based on this evidence, Boots thinks her car was stolen to be “messed around with.”

Sophomore Olivia Ver Steeg’s Hyundai Sonata was stolen as well, but it has yet to be recovered.

Ver Steeg’s car had been parked in the Solberg parking lot but wasn’t there when she needed it to drive to work on Nov. 2.

“I thought I was going crazy, so I just called my boyfriend to give me a ride,” Ver Steeg said. “When he went back to look, he found shattered glass.”

At first, Ver Steeg said she was shocked more than anything, but the theft now feels more “real” to her. She said she suspects the online theft tutorial led to the incident. 

Some Hyundai owners on campus fear their vehicles may be next to be stolen. 

Senior Natalie Mohr said she initially thought it was a joke when her mom suggested she get a steering wheel lock for her Hyundai, but she has since realized how serious the risk is. 

To prevent further thefts and break-ins, Tupper said students should keep items out of their cars that could be perceived as valuable to thieves – even if they aren’t considered valuable to the owners. 

“The main message to students is that nothing should be in view,” Tupper said.