By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

RESERVE — A Reserve man was arrested after authorities said he stole $9 from a woman who was standing at a sales counter waiting to pay for her purchase.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to River Bend Truck Stop, located at 3901 W. Airline Highway in Reserve, at 4:07 p.m. Jan. 29 for the report of money stolen from a store customer.

The female victim told deputies she was at the sales counter waiting to pay for her purchase with $9 and a receipt from another store in her hand.

She said a man grabbed the cash and receipt from her hand and ran out the store towards Airline Highway. No one was injured in the robbery.

The victim gave deputies a description of the perpetrator, and deputies canvassed the area for a suspect.

“A deputy saw a man matching the description of the offender walking on Airline Highway near NW 3rd Street,” a Sheriff’s Office press release said. “When the deputy approached the man, he fled from the deputy to NW 3rd Street.”

After a short pursuit, the deputy detained the subject and found he was in possession of $9 and a cash receipt from another store.

Deputies identified the man as Edward Dennis, 23, of West 15th Street in Reserve, and arrested him, booking him with simple robbery and illegal possession of stolen things.

Dennis bonded out of jail on a $21,000 bond.