AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department held a press conference Monday warning people about a rise in auto theft.

Auto thefts have increased 13% from last year, and data shows there have been 1,979 since April.

APD says Kia and Hyundai models are being targeted the most because of a Tik Tok trend that shows how to start the car without a key. Most of the people being arrested in these cases are juveniles, APD said.

“I have been in auto thefts the last three years, and auto thefts have been going up every single year,” said APD officer Francisco Jimenez.

Karen Manson said she went to the Domain for a family outing recently, and after dinner, her son’s Ford F-250 was nowhere to be found.

“The crime now is totally out of control,” said Manson.

Manson says they got a call from San Antonio police a few days later letting them know the truck had been found, but it was gutted.

APD said areas like the Domain and other places that bring in large crowds can be easy targets for criminals.

East Austin, south Austin and southeast Austin have seen the biggest spikes in auto thefts over the last year.

“What we are seeing is a lot of stolen vehicles are being used in felonies across the board,” said Jimenez. “Whether that be robberies, aggravated assaults, homicides, burglaries.”

APD says some of the thieves are not first-time offenders.

During the press conference, KXAN asked if some of these repeat offenders were behind bars longer, would we see fewer car thefts?

“I do believe that is the case,” said APD Detective Julian Ogle.

APD says most of the arrests for stolen vehicles are made by patrol officers, but a lack of officers and detectives has impacted investigations.

“Obviously, if we were able to have more detectives and officers we could have more of an impact on this, but we are doing the best we can with the resources we have,” said Jimenez.

APD said to invest in a steering wheel lock to deter criminals or hide a tracking device in your car.