Family with child battling illness has car stolen: ‘They’re not thinking about others’
Family members staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City to care for their sick child are now preparing to foot the bill for repairs after their car was stolen from the parking lot last month, just one of a growing number of car thefts across the metro.
Denise Johnson said their vehicle was recovered with significant damage to the ignition and cosmetic damages.
They have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House while their son Ethan, a two-time leukemia survivor, received treatments for his ongoing health issues.
“They really don’t know the damage that they’re doing,” Johnson said. “It was our only running vehicle. They’re not thinking about what other people are going through.”
Hers was one of two vehicles stolen within a week near the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City. By the time they were taken, Kansas City Police had responded to well over 1,600 car thefts in 2024 alone.
Vehicle thefts on an uptick in KC
Motor vehicle theft has been a growing issue for Kansas City over the past five years, nearly doubling in that time. According to KCPD annual crime reports data, there were 7,471 vehicle theft incidents in 2023. Five years prior, in 2019, police responded to 3,807 incidents.
That number increased steadily each year between 2019 and 2023.
“This issue is not new, nor is it unique to Kansas City,” said Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a spokeswoman with Kansas City police.
Gonzalez said part of KCPD’s approach to addressing a rising rate of stolen vehicles is enhancing patrol in neighborhoods where vehicles are commonly taken and recovered.
“Officers will proactively patrol those areas to deter crime with a larger police presence, and possibly identify subjects responsible for car theft, or other illegal activity,” Gonzalez said.
A property crimes unit at each KCPD division station works to gather evidence as each stolen vehicle report comes in, Gonzalez said. The units review photo and video near the area of the theft, process any available DNA evidence, and identify possible patterns in thefts.
“We utilize a variety of technological systems that assist officers with locating vehicles that have been reported stolen as well, such as city camera systems,” Gonzalez said.
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Both vehicles taken near the Ronald McDonald House last month were manufactured by Kia. In 2023, there was a national problem with Kia and Hyandai vehicles being stolen due to a security flaw, the Associated Press reported last year. Kia manufacturers have made security enhancements, but some cars may still be vulnerable to theft.
Kia has been offering steering wheel locks to owners of certain Kia models. Kansas City police participated in a giveaway of these steering wheel locks last year.
As of March 29, there were 1,987 vehicle thefts reported in Kansas City in 2024. According to KCPD, 419 of those stolen were Kias.
Ronald McDonald House updating security
Tami Greenberg, a spokeswoman with Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City, said the charity is updating its security measures after the two thefts.
“Every family is here because they have a child who is seriously ill or injured,” Greenberg said. “Families, when they are here, are already experiencing one of the most difficult things life has to offer.”
“We have security here overnight, and it appears these folks determined to steal cars avoided our overnight security,” she said. “So we’re making changes to be able to do more, to do better, to kind of ramp up and change what we have been doing.”
The families affected by the thefts have been connected with community resources, including a dealership that is repairing their vehicles for the cost of parts alone.
After the thefts, KCPD dropped off steering wheel locks at the Ronald McDonald House for families to use.
Johnson received one of those locks, too.
“This is still an absolutely wonderful place to stay,” Johnson said of Ronald McDonald House. “I don’t feel unsafe here at all.”
Her son Ethan was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 5 years old, and has undergone two battles with the disease. Johnson said their family has been in and out of the hospital for the last five years, but more frequently since Ethan turned 8.
“My goal was to make sure he wasn’t afraid,” Johnson said. “I knew he was going to have to do a lot of hard things, but I didn’t want him to be fearful.”
Ethan had two bone marrow transplants and a battle with other ailments that piled up, creating a lot of stress for the family. But in the midst of hardships, they have looked for moments to tap into their sense of humor.
“He developed scurvy of all things,” Johnson said. “We would tease him a little bit about being a pirate, having fun with him a little bit.”
Johnson created a GoFundMe to help with the costs of repairing her car. She said her son has been in pain almost nonstop for the past month; that, of course, has been on her mind more than a stolen car.
Johnson said she hopes her story brings awareness to the issue of theft and hopes nobody else has to go through that kind of stress.
“We just always take it day by day, and try to keep a positive attitude all the time,” she said.
This story was originally published April 5, 2024 at 7:30 AM.
