LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / September 25, 2000

HAHNVILLE – Ty Collins received the maximum sentence possible, 198 years, for his role in the June 10, 1999 Burger King robbery at Ormond Boulevard and Airline Drive in Destrehan.

Collins, 28, of New Orleans, was convicted Aug. 24, and another hearing isset Nov. 11 to hear a motion for a multiple-offender sentencing. However,29th Judicial District Judge Kirk Granier granted the state’s wish for the maximum sentence for two counts of armed robbery.

Assistant District Attorney Kim McElwee filed for multiple-offender sentencing immediately after this was handed down.

Granier told Collins in court, “I believe you need extended incarceration. I findno evidence of any mitigating factors with which to reduce the sentence.”Granier also termed the robbery itself as “brutal, sadistic and vindictive.”On July 26, Christopher Sanborn, 24, 7477 Pitt St., and Collins took a porterat the restaurant at gunpoint from behind the building where she was dumping grease. They took her back into the restaurant and put her in thecooler.

They then approached manager John Carroll and pistol-whipped him in the head with a .38 revolver, causing a gash which required 18 stitches, andforced him to open the restaurant’s safe.

Then the robbers shot Carroll in the thigh and buttocks, locked him in the cooler and made off with cash from the business.

District Attorney Harry Morel commented after the sentencing, “I’m delighted Judge Granier gave him the maximum. We want to make sure Collinsnever gets out on the street again.”Two other people were involved in the robbery, according to McElwee, Danielle Kenner (Sanborn’s girlfriend) and Marian Sanborn (Sanborn’s cousin). Theydropped Sanborn and Collins off at the Burger King and picked them up afterward, following their unsuccessful attempt to steal the manager’s car.

They drove back to New Orleans, split the money and went to a truck stop casino.

Kenner and Marian Sanborn testified against both Collins and Christopher Sanborn and received suspended sentences in exchange for their testimony.

Sanborn, with no prior felony convictions, received a 75-year sentence for his part in the crime from Granier earlier this summer.

Morel added, “The sheriff’s office did a good job of both responding to and investigating the robbery. If you put that kind of ease in the hands of a goodprosecutor like Ms. McElwee, it’s not good news for the bad guys.”In other recent court action, the grand jury returned a true bill against Eric Gros of Des Allemands with the aggravated rape of his estranged girlfriend.

According to Morel, Gros broke into her home on July 27 and, armed with a knife, raped her. At the time of the incident, Gros was also in violation of arestraining order.

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