PEARL RIVER, La. (WGNO) — The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of David Rester for allegedly robbing and sexually battering a clerk at a Pearl River-area convenience store on Friday.
The 50-year-old Vidalia man is also wanted in connection with a homicide that occurred the night before in Washington Parish.
Once STPSO detectives learned of Rester’s arrest in Harrison County, Miss., the suspect was interviewed and reportedly confessed to both murdering and robbing the Washington Parish bar owner as well as robbing and battering the Pearl River-area convenience store clerk.
In addition to the charges he faces in Mississippi and Washington Parish, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office has obtained warrants for Rester’s arrest for armed robbery, aggravated second-degree battery and felony sexual battery.
“Criminals do not care about jurisdictional lines,” said Sheriff Randy Smith, “Which is what makes communication and cooperation between agencies imperative in solving crimes and taking dangerous criminals like this one off the street. Thank you to everyone involved for the work they did to identify and arrest this individual.”
Rester remains in the Harrison County Jail, where he is awaiting extradition to Louisiana.