A sheriff’s drone helped deputies crash what the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office is calling a copper-theft attempt at a LaPlace warehouse on Monday, ending with one arrest and the seizure of several vehicles and trailers. Thermal cameras overhead picked up suspicious movement in nearby woods and guided deputies on the ground as they moved in. The suspect was ultimately found hiding in the brush and booked into the parish jail.
How the Drone Helped
According to a press release from the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office, detectives responded to Liberty Steel at 138 Highway 3217 in LaPlace at 11:56 a.m. and deployed a sheriff’s office drone equipped with thermal cameras for aerial reconnaissance. At about 12:09 p.m., the drone detected a person in dark clothing near a wooded area, along with two unoccupied vehicles and someone riding an ATV. As deputies followed up on the ground, they found a third pickup and a trailer that had been camouflaged with tree branches.
Arrest and Charges…