Local man connected to Airline business break-ins

Published 12:03 am Saturday, October 28, 2017

RESERVE — A local man is charged with stealing air conditioners and power tools from an area salvage yard and construction equipment supplier.

Robert Lee Reynolds, 31, of Reserve was arrested Tuesday and is being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond for four counts of simple burglary – immovable structure.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies began looking into the burglaries Oct. 16 when responding to William Scotsman Inc. on West Airline Highway in Reserve.

The complainant told officers from Oct. 11-16 someone burglarized the business by cutting the fence at the rear and stealing 31 window air conditioners from mobile office containers.

Officers learned forced entry was made through metal doors of some containers and other containers were unsecured.

A similar burglary was reported Sunday at GTS Salvage on West Airline Highway in Garyville.

There, a complainant told officers he heard power tool noises coming from a storage yard and witnessed a subject, later identified as Reynolds, attempting to steal power tools and parts from the businesses’ vehicles.

“When Reynolds saw the complainant, Reynolds fled the scene in a pickup truck,” a Sheriff’s Office release said. “Based on investigation and review of video recorded of the GTS incident, detectives developed Reynolds as a suspect and obtained a judicial warrant for his arrest.”

Police said two air conditioning units were recovered for William Scotman, and no items have been recovered as of Friday morning from the GTS break-in.

Anyone with information about the burglaries is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office TIPS line at 985-359-TIPS or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.

Tips can be submitted online at stjohnsheriff.org/submitatip.php.