Surveillance video captures an unknown man seen moments before an auto theft incident occurred in the 1900 block of Magazine Street.

The incident happened on April 26, 2018. Before 2 p.m., the victim parked her white Honda Accord in the off-street parking lane and left the engine running with her keys inside the ignition. She then went inside her place of employment for about five or seven minutes. When she exited the location, she noticed her vehicle missing from the area.

Surveillance video of the person of interest can be seen here. 

Anyone with any information regarding the pictured individual is asked to contact NOPD Sixth District detectives at 504-658-6060. Citizens with information that can help solve a crime are asked to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free 1-877-903-STOP. 

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.