[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish burglary ring busted, cops say

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish burglary ring busted, cops say
by The Times-Picayune 
Friday July 11, 2008, 3:39 PM
Five people have been arrested in connection with a burglary ring that
preyed on homes in Chalmette that were either empty or under renovation,
authorities said.

The group focused on copper theft and was responsible for at 10 house
burglaries involving at least $17,000 in goods. The investigation continues,
the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office said in a news release. 

The arrests were made the first week of July, the Sheriff's Office said. 

Jeremy Johnston, 20, James Gervais, 20, Mario Picolo, 20, and Joshua
Bordelon, 17, all from the Chalmette area, were booked with burglary. Alyssa
Amie, 19, of Chalmette, was booked with possession of stolen property. 

Amie was arrested after driving the group to a scrap yard to sell stolen
items, the Sheriff's Office said. Most of the stolen property was sold in
New Orleans, the news release said. 

In a separate incident, John Martorana, 44, of Arabi, was booked July 2 with
residence burglary and possession property under $500. The Sheriff's Office
said he was caught burglarizing the home next door to his own.