Man accused of burglarizing vehicles in parking lot of Hyatt Place hotel
UPDATE: A judge has dismissed 28 of the 29 charges against West, citing insufficient evidence tying him to those crimes.
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BATON ROUGE - Authorities in Baton Rouge say the burglar who targeted automobiles parked at a local extended stay hotel has been arrested.
According to official records from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, 22-year-old Dajon West was nabbed in connection with the February 15, 2020 incident during which a total of 29 vehicles were reportedly broken into at the Hyatt Place hotel on Bluebonnet Boulevard.
Each of the vandalized automobiles had shattered windows, and a gun was stolen from one vehicle.
Officials say traces of blood found at the crime scene were analyzed by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, and the results led authorities directly to West.
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West was already in the system, authorities say, due to a previous charge of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling.
According to official records, West ended up being arrested twice for the February 2020 Hyatt Place incident.
He was initially apprehended and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on June 23, 2020, but for only one charge of vehicle burglary.
He bonded out before authorities were able to pin the other 28 vehicle burglaries to him, records indicate.
Once West was tied to the remaining 28 break-ins and his arrest approved, he was nabbed on June 14, 2021 and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison a second time.