By LEONARD GRAY-Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – Alton Placide Jr., 33, was arrested last October with much hoopla, ending the alleged reign of “the bin-Laden of Reserve” and confronting him with 55 business burglaries. He allegedly led an 18-month burglary ring operating in St. John the Baptist Parish and detectives on a merry chase, eluding at least four foot pursuits.

Placide was captured Oct. 2 by St. John authorities, according to Sheriff Wayne L. Jones, by following up an anonymous tip.

Placide, now facing 46 counts of business burglary after the St. John Parish Grand Jury returned its indictment, is back on the street.

However, Placide is due back in court on March 4, according to Assistant Attorney General Burton Guidry, who is prosecuting Placide.

Placide’s bond was originally set at $560,000 by 40th Judicial District Judge J. Sterling Snowdy. Now, he is on the street without bond obligation.

“I objected to everything,” Guidry said, and added his belief that Placide was a flight risk.

Ad hoc Judge Jasmine Johnson provided no explanation for Placide’s Feb. 5 release, pending trial.

(See PLACIDE, Page 5A)

Several procedural errors led to Placide’s release, including failure to conduct a 72-hour hearing, at which an attorney would have been appointed and waiting more than 60 days to file the bill of information.

Placide is represented by Richard Stricks of the Indigent Defender Board.

Jones said a “conspiracy of silence” protected Placide all those months, aided by some people in hiding for fear of retribution. “The word was out, if you turned him in, you’d be killed,” Jones said.

Jones assembled a task force, commanded by Maj. Robert Hay, to track down Placide, which efforts finally produced the arrests.

A chronology of the incidents provided to the media began with the April 20, 2001 burglary at Towahpahsah Lounge in Reserve and continued up to the day before Placide’s arrest.

Certain locations seemed to also merit extra attention, such as Don’s Country Store in Reserve, which was allegedly struck three times by the burglary ring, on May 16 and Oct. 3, 2001, and also May 9, 2002.

The burglary ring also struck at Hibernia Bank branches in Edgard (June 25, 2001), Reserve (May 7 and Aug. 30, 2002) and LaPlace (Oct. 1).

On two occasions, Placide also allegedly struck three targets on a single day – L. & Sons and Jr. Food Marts in Reserve and Garyville on Jan. 13, 2002; and Don’s, B.J.’s Pawn Shop and South Central Bell on May 9, 2002.

One store manager who asked not to be named, said, “I’m highly upset, that’s true. I’m just unhappy with the whole thing. I hope nothing else happens.”