DENHAM SPRINGS — A man was caught on security cameras breaking into multiple vehicles and stealing a van in a Denham Springs neighborhood on Friday night.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said deputies are looking for the man who was seen on surveillance cameras pulling on car door handles in the Middlebrook Way neighborhood late Friday night and into the early hours of Saturday. The thief broke into six cars and stole a black 2017 Ford Transit van, LPSO said. 

Phillip McClendon, president of the neighborhood’s homeowners association, says this isn’t the first time Middlebrook has been hit, but this latest incident feels different.

“Those people got arrested and then this past weekend we had some more break-ins,” McClendon said. “It looked like they were going door to door tugging on doors to see if they were unlocked, and eventually it led up to them taking rocks and smashing windows.”

McClendon said the development off Juban Road is a growing community where families expected safety and peace of mind.

“Juban is kind of an up-and-coming area, and this is a new neighborhood. Me and my family moved here and didn’t expect to deal with this,” he said.

While many homes are equipped with security cameras, the recent escalation in property damage has neighbors worried about what could come next.

“We’re kind of just getting concerned that they’re taking one step further to enter our homes and that’s dangerous,” McClendon said. "We don't want anyone breaking into our homes, much less damaging our property and ultimately someone getting hurt."

McClendon said residents are starting a neighborhood watch to try and ease peace of mind in the meantime. 

Sheriff Jason Ard asks anyone with information about the man's identity to contact LSPO at 225-686-2241, submit a tip on the LPSO app or contact Crime Stoppers.