Detectives investigate attempted robbery at LaPlace hotel

Published 8:03 pm Monday, April 12, 2021

LAPLACE — Detectives with the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s help in locating a vehicle that may have been involved in an attempted robbery at a LaPlace hotel.

On Sunday, March 11, 2021, about 11:30 p.m., officers responded to the Hampton Inn on U.S. 51 in LaPlace in reference to an attempted robbery.

Upon arrival, officers made contact with the victim who reported that after exiting the hotel to park his vehicle he was approached by a black male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark colored pants, a white bucket hat, and a mask and gloves. The suspect exited a dark colored SUV with dark tinted windows and black rims and demanded the keys to the victim’s vehicle. The victim refused to turn over the keys. The suspect then ran back into the SUV, and the driver fled to I-10 eastbound towards New Orleans.

Upon reviewing SJSO surveillance camera video, detectives located the suspect vehicle exiting I-10 from the New Orleans area at 11:07 p.m.. The suspect vehicle then made stops at several gas stations on U.S. 51 and parked at the fuel pumps prior to committing the attempted robbery at the hotel.

Sheriff Mike Tregre said it appeared that the suspects were looking for the opportunity to steal a vehicle in the fuel pump areas of gas stations on U.S. 51.

Anyone who may be able to identify this subject or the location of this vehicle is encouraged to call St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office Detective Brandon Barlow at 504-494-2674.

Following several recent incidents at gas stations in Jefferson and Orleans parishes, Sheriff Tregre is urging people to be aware of their surroundings while pumping gas. He also encourages people not to leave keys in their vehicles or leave their vehicles unattended. Motorists who witness suspicious activity should not take action on their own. They should move to a safe place and call 911.