The NOPD is searching for an unknown heavy-set black male after he was seen on surveillance video taking off in a victim’s vehicle on August 21, 2017.

At about 8:05 p.m., an unknown heavy-set black male enter the driver side door of a vehicle that was still running in the 1500 block of Tita Street. The suspect then took off in the vehicle heading in an unknown direction. The vehicle was eventually later recovered nearby.

If anyone can identify or locate the pictured subject, please contact any Fourth District detective at 504-658-6445 or 504-658-6040 or feel free to call CrimeStopper at 1-877-903-7867 or 504-822-1111.

Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention

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 it on.