COVINGTON, La. (WGNO) — The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office reported the prompt recovery of a stolen vehicle that was crashed and left submerged in a waterway near Covington on Saturday night.
According to a report, members of the STPSO dive team braved near-freezing conditions to retrieve the vehicle at approximately 1 a.m Sunday morning.
The vehicle, a Nissan Maxima, was reported stolen from the Lacombe area of Park Place and U.S. Highway 190 around 9:30 p.m.
The report states witnesses saw the car crash into a nearby pond and observed the suspect flee the scene after exiting the submerged vehicle and swimming to shore.
Based on the description of the suspect, deputies arrested 18-year-old Obie Williams.
Williams was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Facility for Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Hit and Run and Reckless Driving. He was also booked on an open attachment for Contempt of Court.
“I am proud of the swift action by our deputies to apprehend this individual,” said Sheriff Randy Smith. “Once again, we are sending the message that we will not tolerate criminal activity in our community.”