LAPLACE — The theft of a cell phone motivated three teenagers to corner and assault a local 20-year-old man, leading to his beating and their arrests, authorities said.

Authorities said they made three arrests this week of Ranshaad Eugene, 17, of Rosemary Court; a 15-year-old male of Cambridge Drive and a 14-year-old male of English Colony.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre said the fight was not part of any gang activity and described the suspects as youth acting up.

He said the victim did not know his attacker personally and only knew of them.

The case began March 13 when Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 500 block of Plymouth Drive in LaPlace at 9:22 p.m.

Tregre said authorities learned a young man was jumped and had his cell phone stolen.

“Emergency medical technicians attended to the victim, but he refused additional medical treatment,” Tregre said in a release. “The 20-year-old male victim told deputies that he was approached by three male subjects and was hit several times in the face. During the assault, his cell phone was pulled from his pocket.”

Based on the victim’s statement to detectives and over the course of the investigation, Tregre said, detectives identified three suspects, believed to be all those involved in the attack.

Two of the teenagers turned themselves in to detectives Tuesday afternoon and were booked on the arrest warrants for simple robbery and simple battery.

• The 14-year-old juvenile was transported to the Assumption Parish Youth Detention Center pending the outcome of the detention hearing.

• Eugene bonded out of jail on a $9,250 bond.

• Detectives arrested the 15-year-old at school and booked him on an arrest warrant for simple robbery and simple battery. Detectives also booked him with possession of stolen property. He bonded out of jail on a $9,250 bond.

Tregre said the suspects are friends, but he did not want to release the name of the school they attend.

“I don’t want to link the school if I can avoid that,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the crime.”

By Gladys Davis Mulkey