[StBernard] Two men booked in home invasion burglary in Chalmette; elderly man knocked from wheelchair

[Westley Annis]

Two men booked in home invasion burglary in Chalmette; elderly man knocked
from wheelchair
By Bob Warren, The Times-Picayune 
September 29, 2009, 5:13PM

Two men have been booked with aggravated burglary in connection with the
home-invasion-type robbery of an 88-year-old St. Bernard Parish man,
authorities said.

In the course of the attack, the elderly man was knocked out of his
motorized wheelchair, authorities said.

One of the arrested men had known the victim for several years and had been
paid to mow the elderly man's lawn, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office
said.

Authorities said the victim was at his residence on Shangri-La Street in
Chalmette Monday night after 8 p.m. when there was a knock at the door. When
he opened the door, a man wearing a mask burst inside the residence, pushing
the victim out of his wheelchair in the process.

The attacker rummaged through the victim's bedroom, stealing a wallet
containing $200, a bank debit card and some prescription painkillers, the
Sheriff's Office said.


The victim could not get up from the floor of the residence and began
yelling for help and beating on his door. A neighbor found him and
authorities were notified. 

Investigators later received a tip that Brandin Miller, 21, of 3008 Laplace
St., Chalmette, had been seen at a convenience store using a bank debit card
in a cash-dispensing machine. Video surveillance at the machine showed
Miller using the card. Authorities said he had made two, $200 withdrawals.

Authorities arrested Miller and another man, Edward Zacharias, 25, 3200
Plaza Drive, Chalmette, on Tuesday. They were being booked Tuesday evening
with aggravated burglary and perpetration of a crime on a victim 65 or
older, the Sheriff's Office said.

Authorties said Zacharias was the man wearing the mask and that Miller drove
the getaway vehicle. Miller knew the victim and had mowed his lawn,
authorities said.

Authorities said they recovered some of the money and pills stolen from the
victim.