St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office arrests six New Orleans residents in connection with rash of car burglaries and thefts in Chalmette

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office arrested several individuals in connection with a rash of car burglaries and thefts that occurred recently in Chalmette, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Six subjects were arrested in St. Bernard in connection with the case which involves 21 car burglaries, one attempted vehicle burglary, and four vehicle thefts occurring between Feb. 16 and 19 in the Chalmette area.

Imani Smith, 21, of the 6000 block of Craigie Road in New Orleans, was booked Feb. 20 with two counts of auto theft and 17 counts of simple burglary.

Kenneth Alphonse, 19, of the 7500 block of Forest Glyn in New Orleans, was booked Feb. 20 with two counts of auto theft, 17 counts of simple burglary, criminal trespassing, illegal possession of stolen property, and misrepresentation during booking.

Derrick Cobbins, 18, of the 7500 block of Forrest Glyn in New Orleans, was booked Feb. 20 with two counts of auto theft, 17 counts of simple burglary, criminal trespassing, illegal possession of stolen property, and misrepresentation during booking.

Alvin Thomas, 19, of the 4400 block of Skyview in New Orleans, was booked Feb. 20 with two counts of auto theft, 17 counts of simple burglary, criminal trespassing and illegal possession of stolen property.

Antonio Cousan, 17, of the 4700 block of Sherwood in New Orleans, was booked Feb. 20 with two counts of auto theft, 17 counts of simple burglary, criminal trespassing, illegal possession of stolen property, and misrepresentation during booking.

Curtisha Burnes, 19, of the 1800 block of Charbonnet in New Orleans, was booked Feb. 20 in connection with the case, but on a warrant out of St. Bernard.

Theodore Watkins, 20, of the 7100 block of Boston Drive in New Orleans, Norrissa Stokes, 20, of the 7500 block of Downman Road in New Orleans, and a 16-year-old female juvenile also were arrested by the New Orleans Police Department in connection with the case for theft of one of the vehicles stolen out of St. Bernard. The vehicle was recovered.

On Feb. 19 at approximately 3 a.m., Sheriff Pohlmann said, deputies responded to a call about five suspicious male subjects who had exited a car they had been sitting in with the headlights off in a Chalmette parking lot and began walking into a residential neighborhood.

When deputies arrived on the scene to investigate, they observed one of the suspects, later identified as Smith, rummaging through the inside of a vehicle parked in front of a residence.

Smith spotted deputies and fled on foot, but was apprehended a short time later, along with Cobbins, Cousan, Alphonse, and Thomas, as they hid under a shed in the backyard of a nearby home.

The suspects have been linked to other vehicle burglaries in St. Bernard and New Orleans. During the course of the investigation, detectives recovered two of the four vehicles stolen in St. Bernard, one vehicle stolen out of New Orleans, and three handguns.

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office is working with the New Orleans Police Department in this ongoing investigation. Additional charges may be filed.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking residents who have had their vehicles burglarized to report any suspicious activity by calling (504) 271-2501.

In many of the cases, Sheriff Pohlmann said, the victims’ vehicles were unlocked.

Sheriff Pohlmann urges residents to keep their vehicles locked at all times in an effort to deter criminals from committing a “crime of opportunity.”

“This is why it’s very important to make sure your vehicles are locked at all times,” Sheriff Pohlmann said. “Locking your vehicle and not leaving items of value, especially guns, in plain sight can greatly reduce your chances of being the victim of theft.”