Car Burglars Collared In Bossier Parish And In Custody

Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen says two men from Haughton have been arrested for stealing items from unlocked cars in two subdivisions in the Haughton area over the past two weeks and are seeking those who feel they may be victims. 

William C. Ray, 20, and Christopher A. Bozeman, 18, both of the 700 block of Cindy Lane, were arrested Tuesday afternoon for stealing items from unlocked vehicles in the Forest Hills and Piney Forest subdivisions. 

Ray was initially arrested on Apr. 19 for breaking into four vehicles in the Piney Forest subdivision on Apr. 14 around 2:30 in the morning.   During that arrest, detectives determined that Ray and another man, Bozeman, were responsible for committing multiple vehicle burglaries in the Forest Hills subdivision on or around Apr. 17.

Ray and Bozeman would walk through neighborhoods searching for unlocked vehicles and then stealing various items from the vehicles.  They took electronic devices (GPS systems, cameras and IPods), knives, money, purses, wallets, sunglasses, headphones and other miscellaneous items.  Ray also stole a debit card from one vehicle and used it to make nearly $150 in purchases.

So far, detectives have only been able to identify three of the victims, primarily because some victims didn’t even file a police report.  Detectives recovered a number of items they believe to be stolen from the unlocked vehicles in the Forest Hills subdivision, but they aren’t sure to whom they belong.  They also believe the two have committed vehicle burglaries in the Tall Timbers subdivision.

Ray has been charged with a total of eight counts of simple burglary and one count of use of access device by fraud, and Bozeman has three counts of simple burglary.  Both were transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility for booking; Ray’s bond is set at $50,000, while Bozeman’s bond is $22,500. 

Bossier detectives are encouraging anyone who lives in the Forest Hills or Tall Timbers subdivisions who may have had items stolen from their vehicles to contact the Bossier Sheriff’s Department at 318-965-2203 and ask to speak with a detective.  They would also like to remind residents who become victims of a crime to never hesitate to contact their law enforcement agency.

“When residents report crimes to our department, it can also assist in solving another case because of the association with another crime,” said Sheriff Deen.  “In other words, as in these arrests, vehicle burglaries in these various neighborhoods were committed by the same individuals, and we recovered a variety of items.  Matching the stolen items with their respective owners, however, can be difficult if the crime was never reported to us.

“I’d also like to remind residents to roll up the windows of their vehicles, lock their doors and secure all valuables out of sight in the vehicle or inside their residence.  This is one of the best measures to take to avoid becoming a victim of these crimes of opportunity.”