A 20-year-old Franklinton man was arrested earlier this month in connection with a recent car break-in, according to Chief Deputy Mike Haley of the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Haley said that on Wednesday, June 14, WPSO deputies arrested Kelvin D. Jackson, 20, a resident of Howard Street in Franklinton, for burglary of an automobile. Jackson was placed in the Washington Parish Jail and released on Monday, June 19 after meeting the conditions of a $10,000 bond.

The burglarized automobile had been parked by the owner in the parking lot of a sporting event, Haley said. Upon entering the sporting event, the owner realized that the car had not been locked and returned to the parking lot to discover that a cell phone and cashier’s check were missing. Witnesses in the area stated they had seen an unknown person standing near the burglarized vehicle.

Haley said that a break in the case came when a person attempted to cash the check. Officers interviewed that person and reportedly learned that Jackson had provided the stolen check. Jackson was then located and arrested for the crime.

“This was an obvious case of car-hopping,” Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal said. “That is a term used when a criminal will enter a parking lot and go from vehicle to vehicle until they locate one which is left unlocked. I caution all parish residents to lock their vehicles at all times when it is outside of their presence, even in the driveway at home.

“An unlocked vehicle is an open invitation to a criminal to open the door and steal anything of value that might be inside.”