METAIRIE, La. — Following the death of a New Orleans man who was trying to complete an online sale of a dirt bike to what he thought was a paying customer in Harvey, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office has established two "Safe Exchange Zones" for people trying to meet up to complete an online sale.
Joseph Vindel was killed when he went to Harvey to meet a potential customer.
Jalen Harvey was arrested and booked in connection with Vindel's death. Sheriff Joe Lopinto said deputies aren't sure what precipitated the killing.
The exchange areas are located - one on the east bank and one on the west bank.
The one in Metairie, at 3300 Metairie Road, is in front of the Eastbank Operations Center. The westbank location, at 725 Maple Avenue in Harvey, is in front of the Investigations Bureau.
Both locations are under 24-hour video surveillance, but the sheriff's office still encourages people to make the exchanges during daylight hours.
The "Be Safe Exchange Zone" areas consist of two parking spots separated by a place to meet between the two cars.
"It is our hope that providing these spaces can help us prevent another tragic loss of life," said Lopinto.
Vindel had a dirt bike for sale through Facebook Marketplace for $2,700.
According to Lopinto, Vindel left New Orleans around 10 a.m. Sunday to sell the bike in Harvey.
"Mr. Vindel never returned from that transaction," Lopinto said.
Unable to reach him, Vindel's family contacted police. JPSO detectives found messages between Vindel and Harvey for the bike sale. Those messages led them to an apartment complex on Manhattan Boulevard in Harvey.
"Our deputies went to that location and were able to find the dirt bike in one of the patios in one of those apartment complexes. At that point in time they made contact with Mr. Jalen Harvey," Lopinto said.
Harvey was arrested Monday morning for Vindel's murder. JPSO said he admitted to shooting Vindel multiple times in his car in Harvey and then driving the vehicle to Coliseum Street in the Garden District in New Orleans. Police say he abandoned Vindel's vehicle with his body inside. He drove the dirt bike back to the the apartment complex in Harvey.
