Victim’s Voice: “We just moved here. It was our welcome party. We got robbed.”

It was around 2am on April 2, 2022 in what’s known as the Central City subdivision where several vehicles were burglarized.

It’s becoming the norm now no matter what parish or city you look in with juveniles pulling on door handles hoping to find unlocked vehicles.

A neighbor provided video showing a man, with a gun in his hand, walking up to a vehicle and then he went out of the shot. A few seconds later, he’s seen again walking away from the vehicle. Most likely, that vehicle was locked. This specific case was on Tech St. at Amber Pine Murphy’s home.

“My husband woke up to go to work this morning and the console in his truck was open and there were papers scattered all over. He came inside and that’s when we checked the cameras and saw the video of him,” said Murphy. “My car was locked so he did not go through my car. He went up to it to see if the handle was open and it wasn’t so he moved along. Nothing was missing from my husband’s truck.”

“It’s scary because I grew up in this neighborhood and it’s always been quiet and peaceful. But the last few months, we have to sleep with our doors locked, alarms on and make sure the purse in the house. We’ve never had to do all this until recently,” said Murphy.

Although they did not have anything stolen, that was not the case for Dale Ann Cowan on Reed Ave. They had two guns stolen out of two separate trucks.  

“We just moved here. It was our welcome party. We got robbed, yay,” said Cowan.

The couple just moved from Reserve & Hammond three weeks ago.

“We came out to drag the trash can to the street. That’s when he noticed the truck door was not shut. He hollered at me and I came outside and that’s when we saw things everywhere. It was in disarray. We checked for the guns and they were gone,” said Cowan. “We have two trucks that were broken into. Each one had a gun in it and both are gone. They did not find the third gun though.”

Cowan said the guns stolen are a 9mm and a handgun (PT 24/745 ACP).

“I feel violated and angry. We work very hard to have the things we have for someone to just decide they want to come and take it. I want to get whoever is doing it,” said Cowan. “We’re responsible gun owners. A lot of people tend to leave their guns in their cars. Lock your vehicles and get cameras and a security system. Take your valuables inside your car. I’m terrible about taking my purse instead but last night, I did take it inside.”

Several other neighbors were hit but it appears Cowan and her fiancé are the only ones who had guns stolen.

Anyone with information on the person caught on video is asked to call the EBRSO’S armed robbery & burglary division at 389-5064 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 344-STOP.