NOPD is looking for the perpetrator who stole a large van from a parking facility in the Eighth District.
On April 18, 2017, at approximately 5:30 p.m., the victim reported he left his vehicle in a parking lot at Elysian Fields and Decatur Street. Later that day an unidentified perpetrator took the van and its contents and exited the lot using the vehicle’s parking card at 10:54 p.m.
The stolen vehicle is described as a white 2001 Ford E-350 full-size van with Louisiana license plate number OIR233. There is a large WWOZ sticker in the middle of the windshield. A photo of a similar make and model vehicle is included.
If you have information about this incident please contact Detective Ryan St. Martin or any Eighth District Property Crimes detective at 504-658-6080. Citizens with information that can help solve crimes are asked to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free 1-877-903-STOP.
Auto Burglary and Theft
Vehicle burglaries and thefts are largely avoidable. Here are some tips on how to avoid car break-ins and thefts:
1. Lock the doors
2. Close windows and sunroofs
3. Don’t leave valuables such as laptops, cell phones, wallets, purses or GPS devices in plain view
4. Put away the garage door opener and any items with personal information
5. Move valuables to the trunk before reaching your destination
6. Don’t leave any keys in the vehicle, including a valet key or a spare key for another vehicle that parks near yours in your garage, driveway, etc.
7. Park in a well-lighted place whenever possible
8. Use the emergency brake when parking to make it more difficult for a thief to tow your vehicle away.
Key fobs present a serious weakness in your car's security. An amplifier can detects key fob signals from up to 300 feet away and transmit them to your car so while your keys could be in your house, criminals could still unlock it. To prevent hackers from stealing your key fob signal you can wrap them in foil, place them in a foil-lined box or radio frequency signal blocking bag. You can also put them in your microwave oven – just don’t turn the oven on.