Police in Louisiana Arrest Texas Man in Stolen Vehicle With Help of Newly Installed License Plate Readers

Published March 31, 2023

Police in Louisiana Arrest Texas Man in Stolen Vehicle With Help of Newly Installed License Plate Readers

Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana – Police in Louisiana have arrested a Texas man in a stolen vehicle with the help of newly installed license plate readers.

The Vinton Police Department (VPD) announced on March 30, 2023, that their patrol units had recently been outfitted with a new in-car camera system with automatic license plate reading capabilities. According to VPD, the system analyzes license plates as they pass the patrol unit and compares them to national and local databases to determine whether the vehicle is stolen or whether the owner is wanted.

On March 29, the system reportedly notified an officer of a stolen vehicle that had passed his unit. The officer pulled over the alleged stolen vehicle from Fort Worth, Texas, and arrested the driver, Donald Mott, 39, of Houston, Texas. Later, detectives searched the vehicle and reportedly discovered pill-making supplies, several unidentified pills, drug paraphernalia, and a stolen weapon.

Mott was booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center on the charges of Illegal Possession of Stolen Things, Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Operating a Vehicle with License Suspended, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Officer Benoit and Detective Trahan and the investigators in this case.

An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.