Norco woman held against her will by St. Rose man

Kentrell Smith, 46, St. Rose

A St. Rose man was arrested late Monday night after he allegedly held a Norco woman in her vehicle against her will and demanded that she drive around with him, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office.

On the evening of July 11, a Norco woman's vehicle ran out of gas in the area of River Road and Preston Hollow Subdivision in St. Rose.  Kentrell Smith, of 728 Mockingbird Ln., St. Rose, stopped and offered the woman assistance.  After Smith put gas in the victim's vehicle, the subject sat in the vehicle with the victim and allegedly pointed a gun at her and demanded she drive around with him.

After the two stopped at a couple of gas stations and after several hours, the victim was able to convince Smith that she needed to use the restroom, at which time they stopped at Racetrac on Airline Dr., in St. Rose around 5:30 a.m.  Upon entering the gas station, the victim told a customer that she was being held against her will.  The St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office was then notified and Smith was arrested and booked accordingly.

“It is important to have a plan in place in the event that your vehicle should run out of gas rather than relying on a stranger to help you out,” said Sgt. Dwayne LeGrange of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.  “When people rely on the assistance of a stranger, the situation can become intense.  It is better to contact the sheriff’s office and sit in your car with the window cracked and the doors locked and wait for help,” concluded LeGrange.