NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A New Orleans East homeowner is speaking out after surveillance video captured a group of people breaking into his home, ransacking it, and driving off in one of his family’s cars—all in under 30 minutes.
“I dismissed it as my son leaving for school. He leaves for school at that same time every day. I figured it was him trying to get out the door. Then it kept going off, repeated, repeated,” said homeowner Gilbert Simon, who was at work during the burglary.
Simon’s Ring doorbell camera recorded the moment a person knocked on his door around noon on Thursday (Oct. 9). Moments later, the same person returned with another individual—and what followed was a forced break-in.
“I didn’t even think that someone was breaking into the house,” Simon said. “I was just looking to see if he stole a package off my porch, and when I switched to the doorbell [camera], I noticed them knocking on the door and kicking the door in.”
Security footage shows one suspect kicking in the front door and another ripping the doorbell camera off its mount.
“In a 30-minute span, they were able to take all of our electrical devices—our PS5, all of our computers and laptops,” Simon said. “Several pieces of expensive jewelry, watches, [and] stole my wife’s several purses she had hidden away in her closet. They were able to find that. Money locked in her closet…”
After tearing through the home, the burglars left in one of the family’s vehicles.
“The car’s damaged,” Simon added. “It has a faulty transmission, but I don’t know how far they were able to get. But they were able to drive it out of the driveway ‘cause it’s gone.”
Simon said he is working closely with New Orleans police and his insurance adjuster as the investigation continues.
“He said you will be surprised at how often we actually find the people,” Simon recalled. “So I’m hopeful we’ll find everything.”
Despite the loss, Simon said he is thankful his family wasn’t home at the time.
“I’m grateful that no one was here working,” he said. “I’m grateful that my son wasn’t home or my wife wasn’t home because she literally just went back to work instead of working from home. I’m grateful that no one was here.”
Simon also shared that the family’s dog, Chloe, ran off during the burglary. Chloe is microchipped, and the family is asking anyone who finds her to bring her to a local vet or trusted organization.
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