Man injured attempting to thwart vehicle theft

Tommy Mann Jr.

For The Record

Local police are seeking information related to the burglary of an automobile this past Sunday.

The West Orange Police Department is asking the public for assistance regarding the burglary of a vehicle this past Sunday afternoon at Walmart, located in the 3100 block of Edgar Brown Drive in West Orange.

According to reports, local resident Kevin Buchanan and his family were exiting Walmart at approximately 5 p.m., Sunday and walking to their vehicle when Buchanan found his driver's side door open and an unidentified man standing by the door and a woman by the car used to flee the scene.

The man was described as African American with a medium build and the woman was African American with a heavy-set build.

Buchanan reportedly confronted the man and informed him he had call the police. The unidentified man and woman then got into a white Acura automobile with temporary tags and began to leave the scene.

At this point Buchanan reportedly jumped onto the hood of the Acura and smashed the windshield, which caused him to sustain cuts to his right arm and hand. Buchanan was later taken to a local hospital to have glass shards removed and stitches.

The culprits, who reportedly accessed the vehicle through the driver's side door which had been left unlocked, dropped a purse they had initially removed Buchanan's vehicle, but still managed to take cell phones and some unidentified paperwork from the vehicle.

An unidentified passerby attempted to follow the white Acura vehicle on Interstate 10 West towards Rose City but was unable to catch up to the fleeing vehicle and obtain its paper tag identification.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the West Orange Police Department at 409-883-7574.