Use a Car that’s Not Stolen when you Party on New Year’s Eve

When you party on New Year's Eve you should have a designated driver, but it's hard to find someone who'll drive the car if it's stolen!

A Haughton man, Jaime Lopez Espinoza, was arrested on New Year’s Day for stealing a vehicle from the auto body shop where he worked and wrecking it near Bellevue Road.

Espinoza, 33, was drunk, thought he could still drive and crashed the vehicle at the intersection of Highway 80 and Bellevue Road at around 11:45 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Bossier parish Deputies said he showed signs of intoxication and admitted to drinking a “six pack” of beer. Espinoza performed poorly on a sobriety test and later refused the Intoxilyzer.

The owner of the vehicle was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle had been in the shop for repairs. No one from the shop had permission or authorization to use the vehicle. Espinoza admitted that he took the vehicle and did not know who owned it.

He was arrested and taken to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility. During the booking process, Espinoza admitted that he was in the United States illegally. He was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, DWI, carless operation, and operating without a lawful presence. His bond was set at $13,700.