By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a LaPlace man after he robbed a local food market and shot at an employee of the store.

According to a Sheriff’s Office report, Lawrence J. Anderson, 23, 1820 Williamsburg Dr., LaPlace was taken into custody shortly after 9 p.m. on November 21, after attempting to elude deputies by hiding in a grassy area near the scene. Tregre said Anderson was apprehended with the help of a K-9 unit and a thermal imager device, which helped investigators pick up on Anderson’s location.

The robbery and shooting occurred around 8 p.m. on November 21, at the Super Foods Market, located at 194 West 5th St. after shooting an employee of the store in the calf, Anderson fled the market carrying a bag full of groceries, Tregre said.

Tregre said when deputies were called to the scene, they found a man near the store who fit the description of the armed robber, and would later be identified as Anderson. When one of the officers approached, Anderson drew his gun and pointed it at the officer.

Tregre said the officer fired a shot at Anderson, but did not hit him. Anderson then fled into the wooded area and disappeared. Deputies were able to locate Anderson about 30 minutes later, and arrest him.

Representatives from Super Foods said this is the first robbery incident of recent memory to plague the store. Management for the market said the wounded employee was taken to River Parishes Hospital, treated for his injury, and released.

Tregre said Anderson was charged with attempted first-degree murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault on a peace officer with a firearm. He was booked into the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility on $525,000 bond.