By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

HAHNVILLE — A Boutte woman was taken into custody last week for her involvement in a purse-snatching incident at a Boutte retail store, said authorities with the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office.

Capt. Pat Yoes, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, said Chrissy L. Billiot, 27, 339 Acorn St., Boutte, was booked with accessory after the fact to purse snatching after investigators determined she was driving the getaway car that picked up two suspects who grabbed a woman’s purse in the parking lot of Wal-Mart in Boutte.

According to a report on the incident, the victim, a 65-year-old Luling woman whose name was not released, was loading groceries into her vehicle when two black men approached. One of the men grabbed the woman’s purse, which was sitting in a shopping basket, and then both fled the area. The incident happened around 8:48 p.m. last Wednesday.

Yoes said a witness to the purse-snatching notified police of the whereabouts of the vehicle that picked up the two men. When officers approached the vehicle, the suspects fled and the driver was arrested.

The incident is still under investigation and, Yoes said, warrants have been issued for the two other suspects and more arrests will be made.

St. Charles Sheriff Greg Champagne said the incident should serve as a reminder for shoppers to exercise more caution as the busy holiday season approaches.

“Survey your surroundings as you approach a parking lot, especially after dark,” Champagne said. “Ask store personnel for assistance if something doesn’t seem right and have your keys in hand with a thumb on the alarm button. A few simple precautions can minimize the chances of being a victim.”