LAPLACE — A Reserve man is in custody after authorities said he pulled a gun while trying to rob a local casino this morning.

Willie Brown, 53, of Reserve is being held in lieu of a $75,000 bond, charged with armed robbery with a firearm.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre said the investigation that led to Brown’s arrest began when deputies responded to Poker Palace Casino,

4325 U.S. 51 in LaPlace, at 3:29 a.m. today, following an armed robbery report.

The complainant told deputies a man entered the casino, pulled out a handgun and demanded money.

“The perpetrator exited the casino without stealing anything and fled in a red two-door Eldorado Cadillac,” Tregre said. “No one was injured. A deputy on U.S. 51 saw a red Cadillac matching the description of the fleeing vehicle and followed the car to the intersection of Cambridge Drive and St. Andrews Boulevard, where several deputies converged to assist with stopping the car.”

Deputies detained the driver without incident, Tregre said, adding authorities brought the driver to the Criminal Investigation Division.

Because of his lethargic physical state, deputies transported the driver to Ochsner Medical Complex-River Parishes for a physical examination.

“He was transported back to the Criminal Investigation Division after the examination,” Tregre said. “Based on the findings of the investigation, detectives arrested (Brown).”