NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana man fed up with the rash of car thefts in his neighborhood found an effective solution, but police warn others not to try the same thing.
The man, who did not wish to be identified, said his truck had been broken into six times in eight weeks, WVUE reported. Vehicle burglaries are up 116% in his neighborhood compared to last year, according to WVUE. He told WDSU that he rigged a flash-bang inside of his truck that would detonate if someone broke into the vehicle.
It didn’t take long for that to happen. Surveillance video shows a white vehicle pulling up to the man’s truck. A man gets out, breaks the driver’s side window and crawls into the truck. Soon a flash is seen and the thief jumps out of the truck and runs to the getaway car.
Wild video: NOPD urges residents not to take matters into their own hands after video shows a man who rigged a flash bang in his truck to deter car burglars >> https://t.co/kw4E9OtRib pic.twitter.com/aS05UX6cY2
— wdsu (@wdsu) April 5, 2022
The New Orleans Police Department discouraged others from using this unusual crime prevention method. “While we understand the frustrations our citizens have with crime, rigging an explosive device to detonate inside a vehicle is illegal and a bad idea. Not only is there a risk of injury to yourself and others, there could be serious legal ramifications for everyone involved,” police told WDSU.
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