A Luling man was arrested after pulling over a woman on Paul Maillard Road using flashing blue lights and attempting to confront her before she sped off and called the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The man, 20-year-old Michael G. Garcia of Luling, was at a gas station on Highway 90 when he saw the woman leave the same store shortly before 10 p.m. Garcia then followed the woman down Paul Maillard and turned on flashing blue lights in the grill of his car, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dwayne LaGrange said.
LaGrange was not sure exactly how long Garcia followed the woman before she pulled over, but she did eventually pull to the side of the road on Paul Maillard. When she did, Garcia exited his vehicle and headed towards the woman’s car.
“He actually came right up to her car and was close enough so that she could see he was wearing civilian clothing and did not look like an officer,” LaGrange said. “The woman then became frightened and took off.
“I don’t know what his exact intentions were, but I can promise you they weren’t good.”
The woman drove home and immediately called the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies found Garcia sitting in his Mazda MPV minivan in the parking lot of the Winnwood shopping center on Paul Maillard.
The woman identified Garcia as the man who had stopped her, LaGrange said.
“We are very thankful that the woman was quick-thinking and was able to keep herself from harm,” he added.
LaGrange also stressed that residents need to be careful anytime they are being pulled over by a police officer, whether the person is indeed an authority figure or not.
“This was an unusual incident for our parish, but we pride ourselves on our ability to make citizens safe,” LaGrange said. “We want everyone to know that if they don’t feel safe if they are getting pulled over, they need to wait until they reach a well-lit area.”
LaGrange said that if a resident is uncomfortable in the area where they are getting pulled over, they should call 911 and let them know.
“We are in constant contact with our officers, so as long as the person drives at a moderate speed, our operators will contact the officer and let them know that the person is waiting to pull over in a safe area,” he said.
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