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'Operation Hellcat' results in six arrests after attempts to steal cars from Port Allen auto facility

7 months 4 weeks 15 hours ago Wednesday, March 27 2024 Mar 27, 2024 March 27, 2024 3:45 PM March 27, 2024 in News
Source: WBRZ

PORT ALLEN - A year-long, cross-jurisdictional investigation, called "Operation Hellcat" resulted in six arrests and the recovery of over a million dollars worth of potentially stolen assets.

"I cannot speak enough of the tenacity of these detectives," said WBRSO Chief of Staff Kevin Devall. "They did a phenomenal job and we're very proud of them."

The West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office discovered the sophisticated heist by working with 10 other law enforcement agencies statewide.

"When one crime occurs in one jurisdiction, we may not know about it in another jurisdiction but these detectives picked up the phone and reached out and called each other and by reaching out and going above and beyond they was able to bring this ring of car thieves to justice," Devall said.

The process involved suspects breaking into the United Pacific auto facility in Port Allen where cars are kept before being transported to dealerships.

"They were trying to pry open, crash through, they had used one of the new vehicles that was in the lot they had access to. It was a truck. They tried to crash through the gate. They were unsuccessful. Any means they would try to gain access into this facility, they would do," said WBRSO spokesperson Landon Groger. 

Once they gained access, they would take the key fobs -- which were left inside the cars--and replace them with GPS devices.

After the cars arrived at their respective dealerships -- located across southeast Louisiana, the suspects would simply drive them off the lot.

The type of cars targeted included Dodge Hellcats -- valued at 100k each.

In the end, the efforts of Operation Hellcat resulted in six  arrests and the recovery of 19 key fobs.

The dealership locations were across six locations in southeast Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Slidell, Metairie, Lafayette and Harvey.

Kenneth Stackhouse, 25, of Westwego is wanted on simple burglary of a business, simple criminal damage to property, obstruction of justice, two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, six counts of principal to theft of a motor vehicle, four counts of theft of motor vehicle parts, 19 counts of principal to attempted theft of motor vehicles, six counts of principal simple burglary of a business.

Stackhouse is a five-foot-five, 140 pound black male in a black Chevrolet Malibu with a Louisiana license plate of #945GPZ.

Here's the information on the six people arrested thus far:

Keleen Magee, 26, of Westwego:

Unautohrized entry of a business

Criminal trespassing

Principal to burglary of a motor vehicle

Principal to simple criminal damage to property

Six counts of burglary of a business

Two counts of theft of a motor vehicle

Six counts of principal to theft of a motor vehicle

19 counts of theft of motor vehicle parts

19 counts of attempted theft of a motor vehicle

Five counts of simple criminal damage to property

Ashanti Bradley, 22, of Westwego:

Obstruction of justice

Principal to unauthorized entry of a business

Principal to simple criminal trespassing

Principal to burglary of a motor vehicle

Principal to simple criminal damage to property

Two counts of principal to theft of a motor vehicle

Two counts of principal to simple burglary

Three counts of theft of motor vehicle parts

Three counts of principal to attempted theft of a motor vehicle

Joseph Parker Jr., 38, of Harvey:

Unauthorized entry of a business

Simple criminal trespassing

Principal to burglary of a motor vehicle

Principal to simple criminal damage to property

Three counts of burglary of a business

Three counts theft of a motor vehicle

Six counts of principal to theft of a motor vehicle

19 counts of principal to theft of motor vehicle parts

19 counts of principal to attempted theft of a motor vehicle

Three counts of simple criminal damage to property

Parker's bond is set to $650,000.

Dion Roberts, 24, of Thibodaux:

Four counts of burglary of a business

Three counts of theft of a motor vehicle

Five counts of principal to theft of a motor vehicle

15 counts of theft of motor vehicle parts

Three counts of simple criminal damage to property

18 counts of attempted theft of a motor vehicle

Roberts' bond was set to $650,000. He is out on bond and wearing an ankle monitor.

Kelsey Smith, 25, of Thibodaux:

Principal to burglary of a motor vehicle

Principal to theft of a motor vehicle

Principal to simple criminal damage to property

Principal to attempted theft of a motor vehicle

Three counts of principal to theft of motor vehicle parts

Smith's bond is set to $120,000.

Ja'quan Price, 18, of Jefferson:

Unauthorized entry of a business

Simple criminal trespassing

Principal to burglary of a motor vehicle

Price's bond is set to $75,000.

The following twelve agencies were involved in the investigation: West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office (Auto Theft Division), Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana State Police, Union Pacific Railroad Police, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, Denham Springs Police Department, Lafayette Police Department, New Orleans Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Thibodaux Police Department and Louisiana Prohibition and Parole.

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