AMY SZPARA

LAPLACE – A LaPlace man was arrested Tuesday for an April 10 carjacking in which a man was shot in the hand as he tried to run away. Samuel James Cooper, 21, of 429 State St., LaPlace, was booked with carjacking and probation violation, after an anonymous tip led police to him. According to Capt. Mike Tregre of the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, the victim was leaving a LaPlace bar when four men approached him and made him give them the keys to his 1983 Buick Regal. After handing the keys over, the man tried to run away from the four suspects, but was chased by one of the men until he fell down. The suspect then shot him in the hand, according to Tregre. It is unknown at this time if Cooper was armed or if he was the man who shot the victim. Police are not releasing the victim’s name for safety reasons. The vehicle was found not long after the robbery in the LaPlace Oaks housing development and had been stripped for parts. The chrome rims and other modern details of the car may have made the victim a target for the robbery, said Tregre. Fixing up old cars with modern features is now a popular thing to do, he added. Through information gathered during the investigation, police were led to Cooper. Sheriff’s deputies were also led to the stripped vehicle through an anonymous tip. The other three suspects are still being sought, and police are asking anyone with information to come forward. Calls can be made anonymously to the sheriff’s office. “If they are not found soon, we hope that the public will come forward and assist us in this,” said Tregre. Cooper is being held at the Sherman R. Walker Correctional Center. His bond was set at $100,000 by 40th Judicial District Judge Mary Hotard Becnel. Cooper was on probation for a 1999 conviction of simple robbery charges when he was arrested. If convicted of the crime of carjacking, Cooper could face from two to 20 years without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. If a firearm was used by Cooper, an additional five years without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence could be added to the sentence.