By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – Deputies in St. John Parish are on the lookout for two men who robbed a 35-year-old LaPlace man and fired shots into a residence when he tried to escape.

According to Maj. Mike Tregre, a spokesperson for the St. John Sheriff’s Office, around 4:15 p.m. Tuesday two robbers approached the victim, whose name was not released, while he stood outside his home in the 100 block of West 3rd Street in Laplace.

Tregre said one of the suspects produced a small black handgun and demanded that the victim hand over his money and cell phone. When the victim complied, one of the robbers ordered the victim back into the house.

Tregre said the assailant grabbed the shoulder of the victim as they approached the door, when the victim said he had more money stashed in his car. The robber and the victim moved toward the car, while the other suspect stood in the street next to the victim’s residence.

The incident report said the victim then told the suspects that he could not find the money in the car. He then ran down the street to a relative’s house, and was able to close and lock the door to escape the gunmen.

Tregre said the man stayed flat on the floor while numerous gunshots were fired outside the house. Tregre said deputies determined that five shots were fired on the home, but numerous bullet casings were found in the intersection of Cardinal and West 3rd Street.

Tregre said no one else was in the home at the time of the shooting. And the victim was not hurt.

Tregre said when deputies arrived on the scene they found a white 1999 Hyundai Sonata with a temporary license plate that had been involved in an accident in the 100 block of West 2nd Street. A silver handgun was found inside the vehicle, and the car is believed to be the getaway vehicle for the suspects.

The gunman is described as being 5 feet, 5 inches tall with dreadlocks. He was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. The accomplice is a 6-foot tall man with a short haircut, who wore a white T-shirt and a black cap with the letter “P” on the front.

Anyone with information on the incident should contact the St. John Sheriff’s Office at 985-652-9514.