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The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office is alerting local residents about a man soliciting money door-to-door in the Dixie Gardens area. He claims to offer home repair services.

This individual requests payment upfront to purchase supplies but fails to return after collecting the money. He has reportedly scammed multiple residents in the Dixie Gardens area, amassing over $2,900.

Photos of the suspect, who has deceived several residents, are now circulating. If you have seen this person or know his whereabouts, please contact Detective Chris Ardoin at 318-681-0713 or Caddo/Shreveport Crimestoppers at 318-673-7373. Thank you for your vigilance.

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****UPDATE****

The initial case involved a suspect named Michael Bell Jr., who was exploiting elderly individuals in the Dixie Garden area by claiming to offer home maintenance services. He took advantage of this opportunity to access his victims' accounts and make substantial unauthorized purchases. To conceal his identity, he used an alias. A photograph of Bell was shared on social media to solicit tips about his identity.

Thanks to leads from social media users, investigators identified a possible suspect. The Caddo Investigators used the victims' banking information and discovered that Bell had been using his ex-girlfriend's bank account to deposit some of the fraudulent funds. Detectives obtained video footage from the stores where he illicitly used the victims' accounts, which showed Bell making those transactions.

Further investigation revealed that Michael Bell, Jr. also had an outstanding warrant in DeSoto Parish for aggravated burglary. Caddo Investigators reached out to the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office, which issued the warrant. The DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office investigators were also able to identify Bell through the videos obtained by the Caddo detectives and confirm his connection to the bank account he used to deposit funds.

Using information gathered during the investigation, the Caddo Investigators secured an arrest warrant for Bell on charges of access device fraud.

On November 19, 2025, Michael Bell Jr. was arrested and booked into the DeSoto Parish Jail for his outstanding warrant. A hold was placed on him for his crimes in Caddo Parish, where he will be transported to the Caddo Correctional Center at a later date.

* Photo of Michael Bell, Jr. courtesy of the Desoto Parish Sheriff's Office.

For questions regarding this press release, please contact Breck Scott