Police and fire briefs for May 2, 2012

Photo provided by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's OfficeSheriff's deputies released a photo Tuesday of a man wanted in the Monday armed robbery of the Regions Bank at 8756 Siegen Lane. The robber was wearing a red wig and sunglasses when he robbed the store just after 9:30 a.m. Monday. A second Regions Bank branch on Jefferson Highway was robbed Tuesday, but Baton Rouge police arrested a suspect in that robbery Tuesday afternoon.

Deputies looking for Shenandoah burglars

Sheriff’s deputies are looking for two men involved in a rash of burglaries and armed robberies that occurred last month in Shenandoah Estates, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Col. Lawrence McLeary said.

The men were caught on video burglarizing two vehicles and stealing two bicycles from a house in the area, McLeary said. The crimes occurred at 4 a.m. April 12.

Anyone with information can contact the Sheriff’s Office at [phone] or Crime Stoppers at [phone].

Ala. fugitive arrested in bank robbery

Police arrested an Alabama man in the Tuesday morning robbery of a Regions Bank on Jefferson Highway, spokesman Cpl. Tommy Stubbs said.

Police found James E. Roberson, 34, at the Alamo Plaza Motel on Florida Boulevard, Stubbs said.

Roberston, 1063 Webb Road, Dothan, Ala., was booked into Parish Prison on a count of first-degree robbery, Stubbs said. The accused bank robber also was booked on being a fugitive from Alabama, where he is wanted for flight to avoid prosecution and escape, Stubbs said.

Tuesday’s bank robbery happened just after 10 a.m. at 7777 Jefferson Highway, police spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said.

Roberson walked into the bank, told the teller that he had a gun and demanded money, McKneely said. Roberson then grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash and fled in a light blue Cadillac with a dark blue top, McKneely said.

The robbery is the second robbery of a Regions Bank in Baton Rouge in two days. A man wearing a red wig and sunglasses robbed the Regions Bank at 8756 Siegen Lane on Monday.

East Baton Rouge Parish deputies, who are investigating the Monday robbery, have released surveillance photos of the Siegen Lane bank robber and are asking anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Office at [phone] or Crime Stoppers at [phone].

Firefighters probing vacant house arson

Firefighters are investigating an arson that gutted a vacant house Tuesday morning in the 4000 block of Packard St., Fire Department spokesman Barry Mounce said.

Firefighters were called to the fire at 4:48 a.m., Mounce said. The blaze was under control by 5:18 a.m.

Anyone with information about the fire can contact the Fire Department at [phone].

Authorities book two on counts of DWI

Authorities arrested at least two people suspected of driving while intoxicated in East Baton Rouge Parish and booked them into Parish Prison between 2:30 p.m. Monday and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, booking records show.

Those booked and the counts against them:

• Diane Mitchel, 49, 567 Sharp Lane, second-offense DWI, drinking in a motor vehicle and headlight required.
• Jody Cataldo, 24, 510 Cataldo Drive, Donaldsonville, first-offense DWI, failure to signal/improper turn and careless driving.

Compiled from staff reports. To talk to a crime reporter at The Advocate, call [phone].

Comments

1) Comment by tradewinns - 02/05/2012

i saw the pictures of the break-in punks on TV. i don't know them, but if you do, you will recognize them. someone call the police and turn this scum in, protect the neighborhood.