New Orleans police are searching for a 24-year-old woman accused of stealing a car, breaking into an occupied home, and resisting officers during an incident on the West Bank earlier this week. Investigators have identified the suspect as Keyara Robin, who is also wanted in connection with a separate, unrelated auto theft, and now has an arrest warrant on file.
What Happened on Garden Oaks Drive
According to a report from the New Orleans Police Department, the auto theft happened on the 3300 block of Garden Oaks Drive on Tuesday, August 18. Robin is wanted on charges of auto theft, unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling, criminal damage to property, and resisting an officer, per the report. The vehicle taken in the incident has since been recovered, though the department has not detailed the extent of any property damage.
The 3300 block sits in Algiers on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, within the territory patrolled by NOPD's Fourth District, which covers the entire Algiers community. The same stretch of the neighborhood has drawn police attention before — in September 2024, Fourth District detectives investigated a multi-charge burglary and vehicle crime case just a block away, in the 3400 block of Garden Oaks Drive, as Hoodline previously reported on a wanted suspect.
A Second Auto Theft Allegation
Police say Robin is also wanted for a separate auto theft beyond the Garden Oaks Drive case, though it remains unclear whether the two incidents occurred one after the other or how they are connected. The department has not released the monetary value of any stolen vehicles or damaged property, nor detailed the relationship, if any, between Robin and the victims involved.
Robin is described by police as a Black female born July 1, 2002, making her 24 years old. Records show she has had contact with Fourth District detectives in the same Algiers area before: in October 2016 and again in April and June 2017, NOPD issued public missing and runaway juvenile notices for Robin when she was 14 and 15 years old.
What Charges Robin Could Face
Under Louisiana law, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling — the charge tied to the alleged home entry — carries a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six years in prison with or without hard labor, according to the Louisiana State Legislature. Auto theft charges under state statute can bring up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000 for vehicles valued between $5,000 and $25,000, per the same legislative code.
The resisting-an-officer charge, a misdemeanor, carries up to six months in jail and a $500 fine; a state law update effective August 2024 explicitly classifies a driver's refusal to provide identification during a lawful stop as resisting, according to Eric G. Johnson Law. Criminal damage to property charges range from up to six months in jail for damages under $1,000 to up to two years for damages between $1,000 and $50,000, with courts also required to order victim restitution.
Behind the warrant is a procedural step required of any reported car theft in the city: New Orleans police regulations mandate that victims complete a sworn Form 208 affidavit, attesting under penalty of perjury that a vehicle was taken without permission, before the case can be logged into the national crime database and a warrant issued.
Vehicle Crime Trends and How to Help
The case comes as citywide auto theft numbers have ticked downward. Motor vehicle thefts in New Orleans dropped by 2% between 2025 and 2026, according to tracking data from the Metropolitan Crime Commission, following a multi-year stretch of elevated vehicle crime across the city. Still, vehicle offenses remain a stated priority for officers covering the West Bank.
Robin's case is not the only recent search for a vehicle crime suspect in New Orleans. In October 2025, Hoodline reported that NOPD was seeking help locating a woman wanted on auto theft charges, and in August 2025 detectives sought a suspect in a car burglary case.
Anyone with information on Robin's whereabouts is asked to contact NOPD Fourth District detectives at 504-658-6040. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111, through the toll-free line at 1-877-903-STOP, or online at crimestoppersgno.org, with cash rewards available for information leading to an arrest or indictment. Media inquiries can be directed to the NOPD Public Affairs Division at [email protected]. As with any active investigation, the charges against Robin remain allegations, and she has not been convicted of any crime.
