By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff deputies arrested a LaPlace man Tuesday evening just minutes after he grabbed a purse from a woman leaving a LaPlace-area store.

The incident happened just before 7 p.m. in the parking lot of the Walgreens Pharmacy in the 1800 block of Airline Highway, said Capt. Dane Clement, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office. He said the suspect, Johnell Howard III, 25, of 470 Elm St., was found just a few blocks from the store.

According to a report on the incident, deputies arrived at the store at about 7:10 p.m. and met with the woman, who said she was then approached by a man who asked for 50 cents. The suspect then grabbed her purse, jumped a fence and fled west toward Elm Street.

Clement said the woman provided officers with a physical and clothing description of the alleged purse-snatcher. Deputies canvassed the area and located Howard, who fit the description.

“While being questioned, Howard confessed to taking the purse,” Clement said. “Officers conducted a search of the area and located the purse with all its contents in a garbage can. The purse and its contents were returned to the victim.”

Howard was charged with purse snatching and was booked into the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in LaPlace, where he is being held on a $2,500 bond.