Local woman says her apartment complex claims to have surveillance but does not in midst of several car break-ins

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A few residents who drive Kias and live at the St. Johns Forest Apartments in Arlington said thieves continuously attempt to steal their cars. One woman who was affected said the apartment complex is supposed to have surveillance video but apparently does not.

Tammy Wilson said her 2020 Kia was broken into on the morning of June 27. She said this is the second time her car was targeted in the past two months. She adds due to a new safety feature on the newer Kias, criminals cannot take off with these cars anymore. However, they can still break the windows and disable them.

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Wilson told Action News Jax her biggest frustration is that her apartment complex has signs that say, “surveillance cameras on premises.” However, when she asked property management about getting the footage, she said they told her there is no surveillance over the complex.

“The management advertises on their gates to say the premises are under surveillance. When things like a resident’s car is broken into like mine, where is the surveillance video that you can pull so I can submit it to the police department? They told me they don’t have it because the only surveillance camera they have is for their office in the front,” Wilson said.

Action News Jax reached out to the property management at St. John’s Forest Apartments. Assistant Manager Sophia Williams said she is aware of the situation, but she declined to comment.

“You have us come in and out of a locked gate with a key fob, and now, I’m being told this is not considered a locked or gated community,” Wilson said.

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Wilson said the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office told her the criminals were trying to steal her Kia on both occasions and not just burglarize it. She has since bought a different make and model to avoid the headaches.

Her husband, Cornelius Wilson, said he has now been patrolling the neighborhood early in the morning for his wife and their neighbors.

“Whoever it is out there, please stop it. This is not that serious. If you want a Kia that bad, get a job and save money. Then, you can ride in one all day. I don’t want anything to happen to even the people that are doing what they’re doing,” he said.

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This is after a TikTok video that went viral a few years ago. It showed how to jump-start both Hyundais and Kias.

Tammy Wilson said she is at least the fifth Kia driver broken into this year at St. Johns Forest Apartments and hopes the property management company will step in about the rising crime.

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