The NOPD is seeking assistance in identifying and locating a wanted suspect who was involved in an auto burglary that occurred Sunday, September 24, 2017, in the 800 block of Commerce Street.

The incident happened at about 1:42 a.m. The victim approached her vehicle to find the driver’s window shattered and her wallet missing from the inside of the vehicle.

The unknown subject was seen on surveillance video breaking into the vehicle and stealing the victim’s property. The pictured suspect took the victim’s wallet, then fled the scene in a Toyota Rav 4 SUV.

Anyone with information on this incident or the pictured suspect is asked to contact Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080. Citizens with information that can help solve crimes are asked to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 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.