LAPLACE — A foiled second story window escape highlighted drug dealing and possession arrests this week, according to authorities, that followed a tip of illegal narcotics activity at a LaPlace hotel.

St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division personnel responded to Suburban Extended Stay Hotel Monday when alerted to occupants in possession of illegal narcotics.

Upon arriving, detectives said they knocked on the suspects’ hotel room door on the second floor.

“Two of the occupants immediately fled the room by jumping from the second floor window,” a Sheriff’s Office release said. “These subjects dropped a handgun and several bags of marijuana as they fled the scene. The fleeing subjects were subsequently arrested.”

Police identified the fleeing suspects as Joshua Castillo, 23, of LaPlace and Rashad Brown, 22, of Reserve.

Others arrested Monday were 19-year-old Darrius Davis of LaPlace and 22-year-old Brianna Evelyn Johnson of LaPlace.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, detectives secured the premises and obtained a search warrant for the hotel room and one of the suspect’s vehicles.

“Detectives seized over 100 Ecstasy tablets, over 100 Xanax pills, marijuana, U.S. currency and other illegal narcotics in the hotel room and in the vehicle,” the release said, adding the investigation is ongoing.

Castillo, identified by police as a convicted drug violation felon, is charged with felony possession of Xanax, felony possession with intent to distribute MDMA, misdemeanor possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia; possession with intent to distribute marijuana, illegal carrying of weapon with controlled dangerous subject and felony possession of firearm/carrying concealed weapon by a convicted felon.

He is being held in custody in lieu of a $91,669.50 bond.

Brown is charged with felony possession of Xanax, felony possession with intent to distribute MDMA, misdemeanor possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia first offense, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and illegal carrying of a weapon with a controlled dangerous substance. He is being held in custody in lieu of a $71,500 bond.

Davis is charged with felony possession of Xanax and felony possession with intent to distribute MDMA. He is being held in custody in lieu of a $30,000 bond.

Johnson is charged with felony possession of and felony possession with intent to distribute MDMA. She is being held in custody in lieu of a $30,000 bond.