November 1, 2023 - Mayor Tom Henry today announced the City of Fort Wayne has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Hyundai and Kia automobiles in response to an increase in vehicle thefts in Fort Wayne.
The City has hired Keller Rohrback as lead counsel. The law firm has experience and expertise in these types of cases.
Fort Wayne saw a 289% increase in the thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles in 2022 with a total of 105 compared to 27 in 2021. In the first nine months of 2023, Fort Wayne recorded 154 thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles, already 47% more thefts than all of 2022.
“Public safety has been and continues to be a top priority of my administration. I want residents to know that we understand their frustration with recent vehicle thefts,” said Mayor Henry. “Law enforcement and our city attorney and her staff are doing everything possible to address this issue.”
Other cities that have filed lawsuits include Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, New York, St. Louis, San Diego, and Seattle.