The NOPD is seeking assistance from the public in locating and identifying two suspects who are wanted for armed carjacking in the Fifth District.

The victim told police she parked her silver 2009 two-door Honda Civic in the parking lot in the 1200 block of Japonica Street. The victim arrived to her studio at about 2 p.m. on Sunday, (Oct. 29) where she was approached by two unknown females. The first suspect asked the victim to use her cellphone. The victim refused and the suspect lifted up her shirt exposing a black metal handle to a firearm and demanded the victim’s car keys. The perpetrators fled the scene in the vehicle bearing a Louisiana license plate # VWV963. The vehicle was last seen heading northbound on Japonica Street.

Louisiana law states that Individuals convicted of carjacking shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than two years and for not more than 20 years, without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. 

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Fifth District detectives at 658-6050. 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.

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.