LAPLACE — Authorities said they are trying to locate more than $20,000 stolen from a LaPlace loan office after announcing the arrest of three River Region women in connection to the thefts.

Sgt. Dane Clement of the St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office said it is unknown where the stolen money is at this time.

Sheriff Mike Tregre said deputies first responded to Cash Cow, a title loan office on Airline Highway, April 15 to begin an internal theft investigation.

When management of the business questioned employees about the company’s recent losses, three employees quit without notice, Tregre said.

“An internal audit conducted by the company revealed documentation for transactions for each of the former employees, missing files and altered checks,” Tregre said. “Based on evidence collected during the investigation, detectives obtained judicial, court-ordered arrest warrants for racketeering, theft totaling approximately $20,075 and forgery.”

Clement said authorities felt comfortable with the evidence collected over four months, “so we put out an arrest warrant for the suspects.”

According to Clement, it is unclear if there was a ringleader to the thefts, but he said the three suspects worked in the same building.

On Friday, detectives arrested:

• Keyetta (aka Kenyetta) Tebault, 39, of LaPlace and booked her with racketeering, theft (23 counts; $4,015), and forgery (2 counts).

She bonded out Friday on a $53,000 bond.

• Ranza Smith, 43, of Destrehan and booked her with racketeering, theft (47 counts; $5,855) and forgery. She bonded out of jail Friday on a $72,000 bond.

• Sonia Tucker, 46, of LaPlace and booked her with racketeering and theft (40 counts; $10,205).

She bonded out Monday on a $60,000 bond.

— By Raquel Derganz Baker