Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. (WGNO) — A Tennessee man is in custody of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office’s after a series of business burglaries on Saturday, July 8.
STPSO Sheriff Randy Smith said the burglaries happened between the hours of 10:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 a.m. Saturday at four different restaurants in West St. Tammany.
The suspect, Malik Morris, 25, allegedly used a white box truck during the burglaries.
Around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, STPSO deputies received a report matching the description of the white box truck on Collins Boulevard in Covington.
Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Morris allegedly fled the scene. Deputies said during the pursuit, Morris hit five vehicles before ditching his vehicle and fleeing on foot into a nearby neighborhood.
Morris was arrested some time after and charged with the following:
- Felon in possession of a firearm
- Possession of a stolen firearm
- Five counts of simple burglary
- Improper display of license plate
- Improper lane usage
- Red light violation
- Aggravated obstruction of a highway
- Five counts of aggravated criminal damage to property
- Three counts of vehicular negligent injuring
- Resisting arrest by flight
“This successful and quick arrest is due to the cooperation of our Investigations and Patrol Divisions and thanks to an alert deputy who recognized the truck from a BOLO provided by the detectives on the case,” Smith said. “This is an example of how good old fashioned police work results in arrests.”
The victims of the vehicles that Morris hit during his pursuit where taken to nearby hospitals. There are no updates on their conditions at this time.
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