Reserve man charged in thefts of two area golf carts
Published 2:47 pm Friday, March 6, 2015
RESERVE — A Reserve man was arrested Tuesday and booked on one felony charge of illegal possession of stolen things after authorities say he stole two golf carts.
The case started when St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped the driver of a golf cart near the intersection of River Road and Central Avenue in Reserve at 12:29 a.m. Feb. 27.
The driver initially identified himself with a fictitious name, but later gave the deputy his real name. A computer check cleared the driver and the golf cart.
Later that morning at 9:22 a.m., deputies responded to the 100 block of Terrence Lane in Reserve following a stolen golf cart report. As a deputy was taking the report, another deputy found the victim’s golf cart — the same cart deputies stopped earlier — abandoned at the intersection of River Road and East 14th Street in Reserve.
At approximately 6:20 p.m. the same day, deputies responded to 100 block of West 1st Street in Reserve for the report of a stolen golf cart. The golf cart’s information was entered into a national computer database as reported stolen.
Based on the field contact information gathered early that morning and the deputy’s identification of the driver, Ryan Stewart, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Stewart, 20, of Chad B. Baker Street in Reserve for possession of the stolen golf cart.
When deputies arrested Stewart near his home Tuesday night, deputies recovered the golf cart reported stolen from West 1st Street.
Authorities say Stewart is a suspect for other theft and burglary investigations in the Reserve area. Investigators also believe Stewart did not act alone.
Stewart remains incarcerated in lieu of an $8,500 bond set by Judge Madeline Jasmine.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office TIPS line at 985-359-TIPS or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
Residents with information who call Crimestoppers do not have to testify in court and may qualify for a cash reward. Residents can also submit tips at stjohnsheriff.org/submitatip.php.
