'I'm overwhelmed,': KC woman's car stolen & torched

A Shawnee woman says her car was stolen, torched and abandoned on May 13.  Now, her family and the community are raising money to help get her back on her feet.

SHAWNEE, Kan. — A Shawnee woman says her car was stolen, torched and abandoned on May 13.  Now, her family and the community are raising money to help get her back on her feet.

The Shawnee Police Department says it has noticed a rise in recent car thefts.

For Megan Nation, the crime is especially hard because it coincided with the anniversary of her father, Seth who died six years ago.

“We were just celebrating my dad’s anniversary that day,” Nation said.  “I came home, my car was gone, and I kind of knew it was stolen right away because I kind of park in the same spot every time.”

The 2013 Hyundai Elantra had been stolen from her Shawnee apartment complex.  Hours later, she received shocking news.

“The next morning, I get a call that my car was engulfed in flames,” Nation said.

The car was abandoned and torched in Leawood.  Everything Nation had inside was gone.

Her grandfather, Bobby, passed not long after her dad, and she used the inheritance to purchase the car.

“I had a picture of him and my dad in my car, so when I went to go to the lot [where it was towed], it was very emotional, just kind of taking it all in,” Nation said.

At face value, the case sounds like the recent TikTok trend FOX4 News has told you about, given the reports of the vulnerabilities of Kia's and Hyundai's being stolen, taken for a joy ride and abandoned.

But Shawnee police say they have no indication of that so far, saying the same people may have targeted other types of vehicles as well.

Nation's family started a GoFundMe page to help her rebuild on the financial side.  On the emotional end, she says that'll take some time.

“I don't feel safe in my apartment,” Nation said.  “I actually feel very vulnerable.  It's just scary.  The times that we're living in, I'm overwhelmed.”