One hard core New Orleans socialist tried to share the wealth of another citizen and got the surprise of his life. Though the smash and grab caught on camera appeared to be a well rehearsed routine, this burglary didn’t go according to plan. Instead of valuable goodies in the seat console, there was a hidden flash-bang grenade booby-trap. Please don’t do this, the police request. Even if it does work.
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
Smash and grab surprise
The masked hoodlum in a hoodie was dropped off by an accomplice driver beside the target vehicle. He had his hammer ready to smash. Less than ten seconds from arrival he was head first through the window and opening the lid on the center seat console.
What he didn’t know was that he was expected. The owner of the targeted truck had been hit before and was “fed-up with having his the windows of his truck frequently shattered by would-be burglars.”
He booby trapped the center console of his ride with a “flash bang” grenade. As caught on surveillance cam, the burglar did the hammer smash part flawlessly. While leaning through the window to his waist, the grenade exploded in his face.
It probably blew his eardrums out from the pressure wave inside the confined space. He fell back out as quick as he went in, staggered to his getaway car and was off into the night. Police haven’t found any signs of him yet.
In general, so called “flash bang” charges are “non-lethal” explosive devices which trigger “a blinding flash of light and a sudden, loud noise intended to temporarily stun someone.” Police use them for riot control. Outdoors. Inside a confined space they become a lot more potent.
As noted in the video tweet, “NOPD urges residents not to take matters into their own hands.” Vigilante justice is only a last resort when the police can no longer function. Now that they’ve been scooped, perhaps they’ll begin to do something about the smash and grabs in the area, one hopes.
The eighth time
This, the owner of the booby-trapped truck notes, “was the eighth time in the last six weeks a window of his truck had been shattered.” That’s annoying.
“To see him like gleefully walk up and just smash my eighth window in the past couple months and jump in,” was infuriating, he relates. He couldn’t wait to see what happened next. “And then you know to see the detonation go off and his reaction.” He almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost.
“I don’t want this guy to die for what he did, but I don’t want him to just be able to smash and grab and run away.” The truck owner speculates that the damage probably wasn’t too terrible. He was well enough to get in the escape car.
“He probably didn’t get hurt that bad, but it wasn’t pleasant and it might deter him and his friends and tell other people not to do this too because, without something like this, there is no consequence because they’re not going to get arrested.”
The police might not like him doing their job but the neighbors don’t see the police actually enforcing any laws in the area. Smash and grab vehicle burglaries are up 116% from last year. “My condo is for sale. I don’t want to live there anymore because I can’t keep paying for windows,” the vigilante explains. “Leadership has failed in more ways than one when it comes to this situation, just crime in the area.”
He reported the first seven burglaries. “I don’t blame the police for this, they’re understaffed and like there’s too much crime. I really blame the fact that like these, these people get caught, and then they basically get bailed out.” Why bother to arrest them in the first place? Broken eardrums may prove more effective.
