By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — A woman authorities believed was the victim of a violent kidnapping has found herself behind bars.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office officials said they arrested Brittanysha Morgan, 26, of Satsuma Street in LaPlace Friday for obstruction of justice.

Detectives said Morgan was briefly kidnapped earlier this month by Christopher Marshall, who subsequently escaped capture for two weeks before authorities located him in Baton Rouge.

A release from the sheriff’s office said Morgan admitted to detectives she saw and contacted Marshall every day since the July 11 assault.

“The Sheriff’s Office will never tolerate such actions as Morgan and warns others of the consequences for obstructing justice,” Sheriff Mike Tregre said.

Morgan was arrested and booked with obstruction of justice. She remains in custody in lieu of a $1,500 bond.

The U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested Marshall Thursday for kidnapping. The White Castle man had been sought since July 11.

“We did not forget about him,” Tregre said. “(Thursday,) the search led to his capture in Baton Rouge. I thank the citizens of St. John for their patience and support since justice took a little longer than we expected.”

Tregre also thanked the residents of Cambridge Subdivision for their assistance and calls with information on the day of the incident.

Marshall is incarcerated in East Baton Rouge Parish and will be transferred and booked in St. John Parish on a later date, authorities said.

At 4:20 p.m. July 11, Sheriff’s Office deputies were alerted by dispatch operators that a 26-year-old woman was being held against her will by her boyfriend in a white Chevrolet Impala with dark tinted windows. The third party caller, the aunt of the woman, said she did not know where in LaPlace the car was located.

Deputies spotted a car in the Cambridge Subdivision matching the description of the vehicle. After a brief pursuit and after hitting a parked car, deputies saw a man flee from the car and jump several fences to elude deputies. The female passenger in the car was unharmed.

She told detectives she and her boyfriend had been arguing, and he grabbed her by the arm and forced her in his car. She told deputies she feared he might hurt her.

Deputies saturated the area to find the man, later identified as Marshall, 25, but were unsuccessful.

During the investigation, deputies learned Marshall is wanted in Baton Rouge for armed robbery.

St. John authorities sought Marshall for simple kidnapping, aggravated flight from a deputy, hit and run, reckless operation of a vehicle and resisting a deputy by flight on foot.