Breaking up car theft ring

Iberia Parish sheriff’s deputies believe they have cracked a car theft ring responsible for stealing more than a dozen vehicles from local automobile dealerships in recent weeks.

Skyland Washington, 19, and two 15-year-old juveniles, all of New Iberia, were arrested after four vehicles were stolen from Arceneaux Ford on Tuesday. Iberia Parish Sheriff Sid Hebert said the two juveniles were the same ones arrested after six vehicles were stolen from the dealership on March 24.

Four more cars were stolen that day from Lapeyrouse Motors in Jeanerette, and another car was taken from J.P. Thibodeaux on Monday, bringing the total number of vehicles stolen to 15.

“This is not the kind of crime you run across very often,” Hebert said. “When it popped up again, we thought, ‘It’s got to be the same group.’”

Hebert said the thieves also were linked to thefts at dealerships in Franklin and were believed to be planning similar crimes in Lafayette. He said one of the juveniles is believed to be the leader of the group.

“It’s very unusual. You’d have thought the 19-year-old would have been the one prompting the kids,” he said. “As statements go, they’ve all identified one of the 15-year-olds as being the driving force.”

Hebert said deputies responded at 10:30 a.m. to an alarm at Arceneaux Ford, where four vehicles were stolen out of the dealership’s service department.

Deputies learned the keys to the vehicles were left in the ignitions.

Hebert said deputies conducted a traffic stop on one of the vehicles, a white Ford F-250 pickup truck, a short time later on Harrison Street. The driver and two occupants jumped out of the truck and ran away, the sheriff said.

Deputies set up a perimeter and located all three of the suspects.

Washington was charged with simple burglary, four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and misrepresentation during booking.

The juveniles were charged with simple burglary.

The arrests bring the total number nabbed in the thefts to five. Aquandre Williams, 18, of New Iberia and a 14-year-old juvenile were also arrested after the first wave of thefts.

Hebert said the thieves seemed to be taking the vehicles for joyriding more than financial gain.

At least two of the vehicles were wrecked before they were recovered, one of which was driven through a garage door at J.P. Thibodeaux.

“They didn’t steal the cars to go sell them,” Hebert said. “They stole them for the thrill value.”

Hebert said deputies still seeking at least two more suspects in connection with the thefts.

Hebert said deputies are also searching for three vehicles, a black 2005 Ford 500 with a license plate MVT222; a brown 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis with a license plate MKW564; and a gold 2004 Ford F-150 with license plate W851195.

He asked anyone with information on the vehicles to call the sheriff’s office at 369-3711.

Thomas McMath, owner of Arceneaux Ford, seemed frustrated by the recent events.

“It’s so confusing,” he said. “It seems to be the same ones over and over again.”