Police recover gun after stolen Kia crashes into tree on Child Street

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Two people are in custody after a crash involving a stolen Kia on Rochester’s west side.

Rochester Police say the car crashed into a tree at the corner of Child and Campbell streets on Monday.

It all started around 11:25 a.m. when officers responded to reports of shots fired on Aberdeen Street near Rugby Avenue. Officers learned that a stolen red Kia was involved.

RPD said the Kia they were looking for crashed and two people ran from the car. That’s when officers took them into custody and found a rifle in the Kia. RPD said they’re not aware of anyone who was struck by the gunfire.

Police are still investigating and are asking anyone with information to call 911.

In the first three months of 2023 alone, Rochester had a nearly 2,400% increase in thefts of Kias and Hyundais. Local leaders have raised alarms about an increase in thefts for Kia and Hyundai models because of how-to videos circulating on TikTok. Leaders also say the automakers failed to add proper anti-theft technology, making the cars easy to hotwire with a USB cable.