A teen connected to several thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles in San Antonio was arrested this week after investigators discovered he was bragging about the thefts on social media.

Nathaniel Ray Moreno, 17, was booked into the Bexar County jail on Thursday and was charged with the unauthorised use of a vehicle and the theft of a vehicle valued between US$2,500 and US$30,000.

Police say Moreno is linked to six other cases of stolen Kia or Hyundai vehicles.

According to an arrest affidavit, investigators became aware of a livestream on Instagram of three teens smoking THC vape pens in a stolen Kia while bragging about how they evaded police.

The livestream came from a page called "120_kiaboys" which frequently posted videos of Kia vehicles being stolen with an iPhone charger.

The number of Kia and Hyundai vehicle thefts tripled last year in large part to a TikTok trend. The cars are vulnerable to theft by breaking off the ignition cycle and starting the engine with a USB cable or screwdriver.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the Instagram account and identified Moreno in a video where he is inside a vehicle that was reported stolen in May.

In a separate car theft case, an affidavit states that Moreno is seen in a video posted on 120_kiaboys where he is recording himself getting into a Kia where the ignition of the vehicle had been damaged and the right rear window had been broken.

Investigators said he is also seen with another person as they are looking for a vehicle to steal.

County court records show Moreno has car theft-related charges dating back to February. He has a trial date of Aug 30 for one of the stolen vehicle cases.

 - TNS