NEW ORLEANS — We now are getting a real picture of how many people are victims of the 'Mardi Gras Bandits.'
According to the Tangipahoa Sheriff's Office, 83 of the 166 phones they recovered have been claimed, but more than 1,200 people filed a stolen phone form on their website.
That means hundreds of victims that were pickpocketed from New Orleans parade routes and popular spots like Bourbon Street are still waiting on answers.
Lisa Reed reached out to Eyewitness News for answers all the way from Oregon. Reed says she lost two years' worth of photos because her iPhone wasn't backed up to iCloud.
“It’s really hard. My son’s graduation photos from high school," Reed said. “My grandkids. Two years you know. They grow so much in two years.”
Reed said her phone was stolen on Bourbon Street around 8 p.m. the Friday night before Mardi Gras Day.
“Every single thing and every aspect of our life is on our phones now, and it’s crazy to think that, but until you lose it, you don’t really realize how much you’ve truly lost," Reed said.
Reed is one of many victims who've told Eyewitness News that their phones are now being tracked to Florida.
Florida is one of the states where the TPSO said the Colombian theft ring had recently committed crimes.
TPSO arrested 11 individuals they say are connected to the theft ring after one of the phones was tracked to an Airbnb in Tickfaw.
TPSO said that for 30 of the phones they've recovered, they're unable to extract the cell phone number.
TPSO is asking people to update the form they submitted to TPSO with your phone's IMEI number. If you don't know it, you can ask your cellular provider.
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