Kenner police say a fast-moving string of car break-ins has ended with five people in handcuffs, after investigators tied them to 14 vehicle burglaries that shook several neighborhoods across the city. The cases were clustered in the University City and Susan Park areas and happened between Feb. 24 and Feb. 27. Officers made several arrests in early March after ramping up patrols and chasing down tips from residents, and police say they recovered evidence linking the suspects to the break-ins, as reported by WWL-TV.
Who Was Arrested And What They’re Charged With
According to WWL-TV, the five arrested include both adults and juveniles, and they are facing a stack of charges. Kendell James was booked on 11 counts of vehicle burglary and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, while two 16-year-old juveniles were also charged in connection with those same incidents.
Jorge Luis Sanchez-Flores was arrested after officers encountered him on Loyola Boulevard and was charged with a single vehicle burglary. Another suspect, Trey Cayette, faces an attempted vehicle burglary charge along with counts of resisting arrest, simple escape and obstruction. Investigators also said Cayette was matched to a March 3 burglary in the Lexington area, linking that case to the wider investigation.
How The Investigation Unfolded
Kenner detectives said they spotted a jump in vehicle break-ins and responded by flooding the affected neighborhoods with more patrols, a move they say helped deliver the arrests. “Residents should report suspicious activity to 9-1-1,” Kenner Chief Keith Conley said in remarks cited by WWL-TV, adding that quick calls from neighbors allowed detectives to zero in on suspects.
The department said the 14 burglaries were scattered across the city rather than confined to one block, and that some arrests came directly from community tips paired with targeted investigative work. Police also provided reporters with the suspects’ names and criminal histories as part of the briefing on the case…