10-Year-Old Jumps From Moving Vehicle During Kenner Carjacking

KENNER, La. (KPEL News) — A 10-year-old boy jumped from a moving vehicle during a carjacking Monday afternoon in Kenner, escaping what police called a dangerous crime spree that started in New Orleans and ended with an arrest in Metairie.

According to Kenner Police, Mackenzie Switzer, 36, pulled into a parking lot in the 200 block of Veterans Boulevard around 1:45 p.m., driving a Chevrolet Malibu stolen from New Orleans.

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Switzer abandoned the stolen Malibu and climbed into a 2023 Nissan Rogue left running in the same parking lot. The vehicle’s owner had stepped inside the business briefly, leaving her son in the running SUV.

What Happened During the Carjacking

Switzer drove off eastbound on Veterans Boulevard with the 10-year-old boy still inside. As the SUV moved down the busy road, the child opened the door and jumped from the moving vehicle to safety.

Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick told reporters the boy “acted quickly and courageously” during the incident. The child wasn’t injured in the escape.

How Police Tracked the Stolen Vehicle

Officers found the stolen Nissan Rogue using something many Louisiana families carry every day—a cellphone. The boy’s phone was still inside the vehicle, letting police track its location as Switzer drove east into Jefferson Parish.

Police tracked the vehicle to a car dealership in Metairie, where they found Switzer trying to get into another vehicle that belonged to the business. Officers arrested him without further incident.

The entire sequence, from the carjacking to the child’s escape to the arrest, happened in less than an hour across two parishes.

Charges and What Happens Next

Kenner Police booked Switzer with illegal possession of stolen things, carjacking, simple kidnapping, and traffic violations. He’s being held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna with bail set at $150,000.

Kenner Police said Switzer will face additional charges for offenses committed in Metairie, which the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office will file. The stolen Chevrolet Malibu he drove to the Kenner business will be processed as evidence in the New Orleans theft investigation.