By LEONARD GRAY – Managing Editor

LAPLACE – Two alleged rapes in the Reserve area have St. John Parish detectives scurrying to resolve the cases.

Both allegedly took place on the night of Maerch 25-26 in the area of East 22nd Street in Reserve.

On March 26, at 4:49 a.m., a LaPlace man called police to report that his 31-year-old wife had been missing for nearly nine hours.

As the man was relating the circumstances to a deputy, the missing woman arrived home. She asserted she ran out of gas in front of the BRS Seafood store in Reserve, not long after 8 p.m.

A black man approached and helped her get gas for her vehicle, then asked her for a lift to his home. During the ride, he reportedly told her she “owed him” for the gas and asked for sex. When she refused, he threatened her and forced her to drive to a location near East 22nd Street.

She related that the area had a dirt or gravel road, bordered by a fence. There, he forced her into the back seat and to remove her clothing before he raped her.

Afterward, she stated she drove him back to the vicinity of BRS Seafood, where he fled in an unknown direction and she returned home.

The alleged perpetrator was described as a black male, 5-feet-7-inches in height, 200 pounds, wearing blue jeans shirt and pants.

In the second incident, a second 31-year-old woman, resident of Reserve, reported a forcible rape on March 26.

The alleged victim told police she had been drinking at home for around two hours when she decided to visit a male acquaintance living in LaPlace Park. When he did not want to talk with her, she tried to leave but discovered she had no key to the door of her vehicle.

She added she walked to the Kart n Carry at Airline Highway and McReine Road to use a pay phone.

At this time, a white man in a late-model, two-door maroon vehicle offered a ride. He claimed his name was “Philip” and that he was 27 years old. Instead of heading to her residence, though, he headed to the East 22nd Street area of Reserve area, where he allegedly hit her several times and forced her to perform oral sex on him.

(See Rapes, Page 9A)

(From Page 1A)

He then attempted intercourse, but she successfully held him off. He slammed her head against the steering whieel and dashboard, before she managed to escape. She then flagged down a vehicle with three black men inside, who gave her a ride to her residence.