By ROBIN SHANNON
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A 24-year-old LaPlace man was shot and robbed inside his home by two men who broke into the man’s apartment early Tuesday morning, said a spokesman for the St. John Sheriff’s Office.

The victim, whose name was not released, told deputies he was upstairs sleeping inside his Hastings Court apartment when two unknown men entered the home sometime around 2 a.m. Tuesday, said Lt. Andy Breaux of the Sherriff’s Office.

Breaux said the robbers approached the victim, who woke up after hearing the men enter the home. One of them shot him in the arm while the other rummaged through the victim’s pockets and took an undetermined amount of cash. A release from the Sheriff’s Office said the robbers’ faces were concealed by some type of cloth.

Breaux said two other people were inside the apartment at the time of the robbery, but neither were robbed or injured in the incident. He said both ran outside after hearing the gunshot.

Investigators believe the two men entered the home through the front door, but it is unclear whether the robbers broke in or if the door was unlocked. The two witnesses who ran outside said they saw the suspects run out of the apartment and leave the area in a red or burgundy car, Breaux said.

The victim was taken to River Parishes Hospital in LaPlace, where he was treated for his injuries and released.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Det. Royal Burke of the St. John Sheriff’s office at 985-652-9513.