By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – St. John authorities arrested a LaPlace man late last week in connection with a pair of burglaries at local businesses said a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Maj. Mike Tregre, public information officer for the St. John Sheriff’s Office, said deputies investigating the tripping of a silent alarm last Friday morning at Acme Refrigeration, 940 Cardinal Dr., LaPlace, arrested Troy Vollentine, 39, of 266 McReine Rd., LaPlace, after his vehicle was seen leaving the scene.

Tregre said deputies performed a traffic stop and searched Vollentine’s vehicle. Tregre said the deputies found a crowbar and several assorted tools lying on the floorboard of the vehicle. He also said there was a strong smell of alcohol on Vollentine’s breath.

When officers returned to the business, they found fresh pry marks on the front door that were consistent with the use of a crowbar.

(See ALARM, page 2A)

Vollentine was arrested in connection with that burglary as well as an additional attempted burglary of Solar Supply, 686 E. Airline Hwy. Vollentine was also booked with DWI by Louisiana State Police.

Tregre said the silent burglar alarms were activated minutes apart, and the two businesses are only a few blocks away from each other. He said deputies investigating at Solar Supply observed wet shoe prints and fresh tire tracks at the scene.

Tregre said Vollentine was booked into the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in Laplace, and is being held on $40,800 bond. He said Vollentine has a record of 27 arrests including burglary, battery and narcotics arrests.