Traffic stop leads to stolen AR-15, spent 9mm casings
Published 12:03 am Wednesday, December 14, 2016
LAPLACE — A LaPlace speeding violation has led police to seek the origins of a stolen AR-15 rifle and spent 9mm casings.
Police released this photo of a stolen AR-15 rifle recovered from a traffic stop.
As it stands now, authorities said, 24-year-old Andrew Brown faces charges ranging from illegal possession of a stolen firearm, flight from an officer, contempt of court, operating a vehicle with a suspended license, speeding and switched plates.
Andrew Brown
Brown, of LaPlace, was arrested Thursday after Sheriff Mike Tregre said deputies observed the suspect traveling at a high rate of speed on U.S. 51 in LaPlace.
Appearing to ignore deputies, Brown drove through intersections at U.S. 51 and Main Street and U.S. 51 and Woodland Drive before stopping in the 4000 block of U.S. 51, where he exited the vehicle, authorities said.
St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies also observed a 2-year-old girl and adult female, approximately nine-months pregnant, in the vehicle with the suspect.
During a search of the vehicle, Tregre said, deputies recovered two spent 9mm casings and a Kel Tec AR-15 (5.56 caliber) rifle with an extended, drum-style magazine.
“We will try to identify if those spent casings are tied to any crime once we put them in the database,” Tregre said.
“Any other shooting or gun that has been seized by any agency, if we get a match, (the suspect will) have additional problems. The same thing goes with the weapon. Once we send it to the lab, it is test fired for ballistics to determine if that weapon was used at any crimes.”
Brown is free from custody after posting a 13,958.50 bond.
