AMY SZPARA

LAPLACE – After responding to an armed robbery call at a local lounge early Monday morning, St. John Parish sheriff’s detectives worked non-stop for three days trying to find a pair of bandits in a yellow car that never existed. When Monica Normand, 24, 8777 Sunnyside Drive, of LaPlace, made a 911 call to inform authorities she had been robbed at gunpoint while working at Rusty’s Pool Tavern, she told them the two suspects had been covered from head to toe and she could give no description of them. In addition, the suspects took the security tape and VCR with them when they fled, she said. From the start the story seemed shady, SJPSO Capt. Mike Tregre said. After taking the report and questioning Normand, who had reportedly worked at the tavern for less than a week, authorities found a lot of inconsistencies in her story. She was brought in and questioned further, and late Wednesday night she confessed to taking the money along with two of her friends. Along with Normand, Casey Brian Reichard, 23, 8777 Sunnyside Drive, was arrested for theft and conspiracy to armed robbery. Reichard was also booked with parole violation, and Normand with criminal mischief by falsifying a police report. According to authorities, the two were romantically involved and Reichard was on house arrest. A third individual, Gerald Freeland Jr., 25, was also arrested for his alleged role in the incident. He too lived at the residence with Normand. His step-mother, Debbie Freeland, said he and his girlfriend were temporarily staying with the other couple. His father, Gerald Freeland Sr., visited with his son briefly Thursday afternoon. “I only saw him for about 10 minutes and two detectives were there. I didn’t really get to talk with him,” he said. “I got a call from him yesterday and the electricity went out.” When the elder Freeland tried to call his son back on his cellular phone, a detective answered. “That’s how I found out,” the father said. Gerald Freeland Sr. did not know yet whether he would put up bond for his son. “Of course I’m going to say my kid’s a good kid. I know he wouldn’t ever hurt anyone,” he said. “This investigation is continuing,” said Sheriff Wayne L. Jones. “There is evidence that they may be involved in other robberies. When I came to work Monday morning and heard Rusty’s had been robbed, I was concerned. But, when we brought her in, she confessed to being the lookout.” Tregre said the false story tied police up for a lot of hours they could have been dedicating to other cases. “We were out there looking for ghosts,” he said. Normand was the only one working at the 24-hour-a-day bar, and her false story involved the two men forcing her into the office and demanding money at gunpoint. According to Tregre, she gave so many details she began to forget what she had said and the story kept changing. The safe, which contained a large undisclosed amount of money, was dumped into the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish and is being recovered. “When we asked her details like did both of them carry the safe out, first she said it was one then two,” Tregre said. “We asked what she was doing at the time and she couldn’t tell us, and the story kept changing. “She basically made us jump through hoops.” Since Normand told authorities the men had escaped in a yellow automobile, the deputies and detectives were out looking for that particular vehicle. “She caused us to waste time, money and manpower,” he said. Rusty’s owner, Greg Miller, declined to comment about the robbery, only saying he “wanted to forget about it.” All three suspects are being held at separate area correctional facilities on $70,000 bond.