LaPlace man faces 1st degree murder arrest following Reserve shooting
Published 11:41 am Friday, July 8, 2016
RESERVE — Authorities are pointing to drugs as the cause of a deadly shooting Wednesday night that claimed the life of a LaPlace man.
St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre said investigators are not going to expand on the shooting’s cause beyond “drug-related,” but credited community feedback with leading to an initial arrest.
Trey Johnson, 20, of 8784 Sunnyside Drive in LaPlace, was arrested Thursday, charged with principal to first degree murder and obstruction of justice – tampering with evidence.
Trey Johnson
“There were multiple citizens who assisted us with home surveillance without hesitation,” Tregre said. “The cooperation was great.”
Authorities believe Johnson participated in the killing of 22-year-old Dejuan Bell of Williamsburg Drive in LaPlace.
Bell was discovered at 7:53 p.m. Wednesday in the 8800 block of Richmond Drive in Reserve, slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle with a gunshot wound.
Emergency medical services brought Bell to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Tregre said there appears to be another person involved in the shooting, but no suspect information is known at this time.
Deputies were initially alerted to trouble following a shots fired call Wednesday along Richmond Drive. Deputies discovered Bell at the scene in his car, which had crashed into a fence and also struck a building.
Tregre said investigators believe the shooting took place while the vehicle was in motion.
“We believe we recovered the (handgun) used in the murder,” Tregre said, adding authorities also received a confession from the suspect.
Bell was the shooting’s only target and victim, authorities said.
Tregre said Johnson is facing the tampering charge, because “we have proof that he tampered with physical evidence that was related to the homicide.”
Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to call the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office TIPS line at 985-359-TIPS or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
Those with information do not have to testify and may qualify for a cash reward. Tips can be submitted at stjohnsheriff.org/submitatip.php.
