ATV Thefts Rampant in Acadiana

Lafayette, LA (KPEL News) - Acadiana Law enforcement officials in both Vermilion and Acadia Parishes are dealing with rampant thefts, particularly of ATVs.

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The Acadia Parish Sheriff's office is working to find the thieves responsible for stealing seven all-terrain vehicles in Church Point.

They believe the four-wheelers and side-by-sides were taken in the middle of the night on September 19th, and evidence suggests the suspects made more than one trip to collect the ATVs. Sheriff KP Gibson provided the following surveillance photo of the suspects' vehicle, although it's unclear exactly what it looks like.

Surveillance photo of suspect vehicle (Courtesy Acadia Parish Sheriff)

Three of the vehicles are identified as green Honda Pioneer models, like the one pictured here.

Honda Pioneer (Courtesy Acadia Parish Sheriff)

The others were Honda four-wheelers, three green and one tan, that look similar to the one in the photo below.

Honda 4-wheeler (Courtesy Acadia Parish Sheriff)

The value of the vehicles is approximately $87,500, and the sheriff believes they may currently be in the Church Point or St. Landry Parish area.

Anyone with information about the crime is urged to call the Acadia Parish Crimestoppers tips line at 789-TIPS or download our P3 app to report your tip. All callers will remain anonymous and can receive up to a $1,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest or recovery in this case.

Meanwhile, in Vermilion Parish, Sheriff Mike Couvillon says detectives have arrested several juveniles between the ages of 15 and 17 and charged them with the recent thefts of off-road motorcycles and ATVs.

One of the kids was sent to the Office of Juvenile Justice. Others were placed on an electronic monitoring system via ankle monitors. Two of them were released into the custody of their parents due to a lack of bed space at juvenile facilities.

Several of the stolen vehicles have been recovered and returned to the owners.

Anyone who has purchased a dirt bike or ATV from a juvenile recently should realize that it may be stolen. Please contact the Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Office to make arrangements for detectives to examine it to ensure it's not stolen property. If you are found to be in possession of stolen property, you could face criminal charges.

The DA's office and sheriff's detectives will continue to investigate the case and more charges are possible.

Both Acadia Parish Sheriff KP Gibson and Vermilion Parish Sheriff Mike Couvillon would like to remind residents to be vigilant in securing their items by removing the keys off their ATVs, dirt bikes, and any other vehicles. Keep them securely locked in a building or with a heavy-duty chain. Owners should also record the VINs and keep that information in a safe location so you can provide to authorities if it is stolen.