Following a recent spate of vehicle burglaries in the downtown area, Chief Tim Lentz would like to remind the public of some easy ways to help avoid becoming a victim. One of the most effective means of making yourself less of a target is to keep valuables out of plain sight within your vehicle.
Vehicle burglaries are often crimes of opportunity. By removing valuables, such as purses, wallets and identification cards from your vehicle, you become less of a target and thieves are more likely to move on to easier victims. If for some reason you must leave valuables inside your vehicle, lock them in the trunk or somewhere out of sight.
Over the last month, the Covington Police Department has received reports of several vehicle burglaries in the Bogue Falaya Park area. In most instances valuables, such as purses, were left in plain sight.
The majority of the reported vehicles were burglarized in a “smash and grab” style, where the perpetrator smashes a window on the vehicle and grabs the victim’s valuables.
Several of the victims’ stolen checks and personal identification have used at banks across the Southern Louisiana region. Investigators have obtained photographs from one of the banks of an unidentified white female, driving a gray Chevrolet Equinox. This unidentified female is believed to be directly involved with the recent burglaries in Covington.
These burglaries follow the pattern of the “Felony Lane Gang”, a term dubbed by law enforcement to describe the patterns in which these criminals operate. The perpetrators of these crimes often target parks, recreational facilities, gyms and other places where, primarily women, will leave their purses inside the vehicle. The perpetrators will often use rental vehicles to commit the crimes and have been known to wear disguises to mask their identity.
While not an actual gang, the name stems from how these criminals operate. After committing the burglaries, they will use what has been coined by law enforcement as the “felony lane”, the farthest lane at a bank from the teller, making it harder to identify them, where they will cash stolen checks, using the victim’s identification card.
In the link below, Sergeant Stefan Montgomery, of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, gives a good explanation of the “Felony Lane Gang” and how they operate, as well as some useful tips on how not to become a victim:
https://www.facebook.com/stpso/videos/1020834634667178/
The Covington Police Department is seeking the public’s help to identify the female in the photographs. Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call the Covington Police Department at (985)892-8500, or Crimestoppers at (504)822-1111. Callers can remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward of up to $2,500 for information leading an arrest in this incident.
