By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE — A 21-year-old convicted felon from LaPlace turned himself in Wednesday after warrants were issued for his arrest on charges of possession of a firearm, simple escape and theft of St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office handcuffs.

Maj. Mike Tregre, spokesman for the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office, said an officer was on regular patrol, when he noticed a suspicious red Pontiac Grand Am around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

&#8220The officer ran the license plate on the car, and it came back as a stolen vehicle,” Tregre said. &#8220A traffic stop was conducted, and the passengers got out of the vehicle. The officer observed one passenger sitting behind the driver’s seat with suspicious movement.”

The traffic stop was conducted at the intersection of Fairway Drive and South Sugar Ridge Drive.

The backseat passenger sitting behind the driver’s seat was Devin Henderson, who got out of the vehicle and was placed in handcuffs.

The officer checked the vehicle for weapons and found a .380 caliber handgun under the rear driver’s side seat, where Henderson was sitting, according to Tregre.

&#8220The officer conducted a record check on Henderson,” Tregre said. &#8220He found out Henderson was a convicted felon, and on probation. Henderson then admitted to putting the gun under the seat, but after admitting to it, he fled on foot, and was not apprehended.”

Warrants were issued for Henderson’s arrest.

&#8220Later that morning around 10:40, Henderson turned himself in at the correctional facility with the handcuffs still on,” Tregre said.

Henderson was taken into custody and placed on a $17,250 bond set by 40th Judicial District Judge Madeline Jasmine.