Police: Men tie up, assault jewelry thief

Two Luling men apparently took justice into their own hands by calling an alleged jewelry thief over to one of their homes, threatening the man with a gun and then tying him up in a bathtub, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Chris J. Boudreaux, 29, of 187 Celia Drive, and Zachary P. Jones, 25, of 203 Oak Lane, are both charged with armed robbery, aggravated battery and false imprisonment while armed with a weapon. The man who they allegedly threatened, Brandon T. Rankin, 21, of 330 St. Anthony St. in Luling, was charged with theft over $500.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Boudreaux and Jones told Rankin  to come over because they believed he had stolen jewelry from them. When Rankin arrived on Nov. 22, Boudreaux and Jones forced him into a bathtub at gunpoint and bound him with tape.

Rankin, who authorities say was also hit with the butt of a gun, eventually confessed to stealing the jewelry, according to Capt. Pat Yoes, a spokesman with the Sheriff’s Office.

After the questioning, Rankin was able to free himself. He fled the home and notified the Sheriff’s Office, which led to the arrests of all three men.

“What those two men should have done was called us and reported the crime,” Yoes said. “They should never have taken the law into their own hands.”