St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office arrests two youths in connection with vehicle theft

St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office arrests two youths in connection with vehicle thefts in Arabi

St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann urges residents not to let a stranger’s youth lure them into a false sense of security after detectives with the Criminal Investigations Bureau arrested a couple of youths from New Orleans in connection with two vehicle thefts that occurred Thursday, Sept. 24 in Arabi, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The two females, ages 15 and 11, were both booked Friday, Sept. 25 with simple robbery, two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, and one count of theft. The 15 year old also was booked on an outstanding warrant out of St. Bernard for theft of a motor vehicle from an incident that occurred in July in Arabi.

On Thursday, Sept. 24, at approximately 4 p.m., Sheriff Pohlmann said, deputies responded to a call about a vehicle theft in the 300 block of Angela Avenue.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they were met by an elderly male victim who said two young females knocked on his door and asked if they could come inside and use his phone. While inside the residence, the girls stole the victim’s keys and when they left the residence, they took his vehicle as well.

A few hours later, Sheriff Pohlmann said, deputies responded to another call about a vehicle theft, this time in the 2100 block of Aycock Street in Arabi.

When deputies arrived on the scene of this incident, they met with an eldery female who said two young females knocked on her door and asked to use her phone. After the girls left, the female victim noticed both her keys and wallet were missing, along with her vehicle.

Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Bureau were able to identify the suspects through eyewitness accounts and video surveillance.

Once in custody, both females admitted to the thefts and were transported to the St. Bernard Parish Prison Juvenile Detention Center to be booked accordingly.

Sheriff Pohlmann encourages citizens to remain vigilant, and report any suspicious activity in their neighborhood.

Citizens who want to share information with detectives about criminal activity pertaining to St. Bernard Parish or any of its residents, can do so anonymously through the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau’s new tip hotline, (504) 271-TIPS or 8477.

If a detective isn’t available to answer, the Sheriff said, callers can leave a detailed message, and either choose to provide their contact information, or remain anonymous.

The Sheriff said residents who feel they are in danger or in need of immediate assistance should call 911. Non-emergency issues such as requesting to speak with a deputy also can be handled by calling (504) 271-2501.

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