By ROBIN SHANNON
Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – Authorities in St. John are investigating an early Saturday robbery of a LaPlace convenience store in which the suspect choked the store clerk to get money.

It happened around 7:25 a.m. at the E-Z Serve store located in the 100 block of W. Airline Highway.

According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, the suspect entered the store, walked behind the counter and began choking the 54-year-old cashier. The suspect, who had the lower part of his face covered with a black cloth, demanded that the cashier open the register and the cashier complied.

The robber grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the store. Authorities said he then drove away in a dark grey vehicle.

One customer was inside the store at the time of the robbery, but left the store before deputies arrived. Deputies conducted a search of the area, but no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information on the incident should contact Det. Will Stelly of the St. John Sheriff’s Office at 985-652-2773.