The NOPD is searching for an unknown suspect seen driving a red Chevy Cruze and burglarizing a vehicle outside of a business in the 7900 block of Chef Menteur Highway.

The incident happened on January 18, 2018. At about 5:18 p.m., the pictured suspect was observed entering the parking lot driving a red Chevy Cruze with damage to the passenger-side front fender, possibly bearing Tennessee plate #0C55T0. The victim then burglarized a vehicle in the area.

The suspect then fled westbound on Chef Menteur Highway in the same vehicle they arrived in.

Anyone with any information regarding the identity of the person or the location of the red Chevy Cruze should contact any Seventh District detective at 504-658-6070 or anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 54-822-1111.

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.