RESERVE, La. (WGNO) — Four men are behind bars after a New Orleans carjacking led to a police pursuit in St. John the Baptist Parish.
Around 11 p.m. on Thursday, February 24, the SJSO reports officers were on patrol when they were notified of a vehicle that was carjacked in New Orleans.
Sometime later, police located the car near U.S. 61 and East 22nd Street.
The sheriff’s office says as officers tried to conduct a traffic stop at Homewood Place, the driver reportedly continued north for about a half-mile before accelerating onto US Highway 61 towards LaPlace.
The pursuit continued as the car barreled through red lights, eventually turning onto Belle Terre Boulevard in LaPlace and then onto I-10 East.
Police say the car then took an abrupt exit off the 209 ramp, then approached US 51.
Once the car came to a stop in a grassy area, four men ran out of the vehicle and towards a marsh. After searching the area with K9 officers, all four suspects were captured and arrested.
The suspects were identified as:
- Vidal Ramon Pope (Age 21) of LaPlace
- Reshon Cornelious Willaims (Age 21) of LaPlace
- Derrick Devon Rhinehart (Age 21) of New Orleans
- Laryan Abdul Reed (Age 21) of New Orleans
Police say Pope, Reed, and Rhinehart are all convicted felons. Rhinehart was reportedly carrying a satchel bag containing narcotics and a magazine with bullets at the time of his arrest. Reed was carrying two bags of marijuana as well.
Additionally, officers found a loaded pistol in the grass near the marsh along with two firearms. An AR-15 style pistol was located in the vehicle and an AR-15 magazine was found on the ground near the car.
No one was injured in the pursuit.
All four men were charged with:
- Illegal possession of stolen things (felony)
- Illegal carrying of weapons with controlled dangerous substance
- Aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce (felony)
- Aggravated flight from an officer by vehicle (felony)
Additionally, Pope, Reed, and Rhinehart were all charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
As of Friday morning, the bonds had not been set for the four subjects.
