Two LaPlace men were arrested and charged with armed robbery after holding up two Hahnville men at gunpoint, according to reports from the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Lavar Q. Ellis, 1417 Van Arpel Dr., and Jeremiah Randle, 1037 Beach St., both of LaPlace, were each charged with two counts of armed robbery, illegal discharge of a firearm, flight from an officer, and resisting arrest.
Ellis was additionally charged with two counts of battery on a police officer.
Four men total were involved in the two incidents on May 12 -two escaped on foot after officers were able to track down the vehicle used in both robberies, Sgt. Dwayne LaGrange told the Herald-Guide.
“This was a situation where the victims were randomly selected,” LaGrange said. “The suspects would see a person, stop the vehicle and demand the victim’s money while brandishing a weapon.”
The incidents took place in the same time frame, one on King St. and the other later on Sunset Ct., with both victims able to identify the Ford F-150 truck used in both robberies.
The suspects also fired a weapon as an intimidation factor in both incidents as they left the scene, according to the victims.
Based on the description of the subjects and the vehicle, the suspects were located on Highway 3127 and led deputies on a pursuit that eventually ended on Highway 90 in Boutte, LaGrange said.
The suspects fled the F-150 but one was caught immediately and another was tracked down by one of the Sheriff’s Office’s canines as he was hiding in the back of a truck on Highway 90.
LaGrange said when an incident like this occurs, they try to get the information to as many officers as possible on patrol that way they can cover as much ground is as short a time as possible.
The incident is still under investigation and anyone with information can contact the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office at (985) 783-1355.
If a criminal shoves a gun in your face, say police, you …
… should try to stay calm. Don’t make any sudden movements to upset the robber. Do exactly as you are told. Do not resist.
If you have to move or reach, tell the robber what you are going to do and why. Try to get a good look at the robber so you can describe him later.
Don’t be a hero It’s better to lose your money than your life. Give the robber time to leave. Call 911 as soon as you can.
Source: Colorado Association of Robbery Investigators
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