LAPLACE –Rodney Sterling, 19, of New Orleans was arrested Oct. 15, for drug and gun violations after officers observed him, along with a LaPlace man, parked in a fire lane of a LaPlace business. Also arrested was Avian Coy Brule, 26, of LaPlace.

At 6:45 p.m., on Oct. 15 the SJSO Crime Reduction Team was on pro-active patrol in LaPlace when officers observed a black Nissan Altima parked in the fire lane of a business in the 100 block of Belle Terre Blvd. Officers approached the car and made contact with a male subject, identified as Sterling, leaning on the rear passenger side panel of the vehicle while smoking a marijuana cigarette. Officers ordered Sterling to discard the cigarette then they arrested him. Simultaneously, another subject, the driver of the vehicle identified as Brule, approached the car. Brule was then detained.

A passenger, a 17-year-old female from Montz, also was detained.

During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered two semi-automatic handguns with eight live rounds and a Ruger 40 handgun with an extended magazine and 12 live rounds on the back passenger floor board. The Ruger handgun was reported stolen from New Orleans. Also located inside the vehicle were two plastic bags containing 21 MDMA pills (Ecstasy) and 21 Oxycodone pills. Officers located in the trunk 17½ Xanax pills inside an I-Phone box possessed by Brule.

Sterling was booked with possession of MDMA (felony), possession of Oxycodone, two counts of illegal carrying of weapon with controlled dangerous substance and illegal possession of stolen firearm. He is being held in custody in lieu of a $90,000 bond.

Brule was booked with possession of Xanax (Alprazolam) (felony). He was released Oct. 16. The 17-year-old was taken into custody for a judicial warrant for simple criminal damage to property and simple battery. She was released October 15, 2019 to the custody of her mother