[StBernard] Chalmette man opens fire, thwarts vehicle burglary

[Westley Annis]

Chalmette man opens fire, thwarts vehicle burglary

Published: Friday, April 22, 2011, 5:10 PM     Updated: Friday, April 22,
2011, 6:56 PM

 By The Times-Picayune 

Two young men trying to burglarize a truck in Chalmette got the worst of it
when one got his arm rolled over by the getaway driver and the other was
shot at by the owner of the vehicle, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office
Chief Deputy James Pohlmann said.
Both men escaped in a gray Dodge following the 7 p.m. incident Wednesday
night in the 2300 block Corinne Drive. The truck's owner, who came outside
of his home with a handgun when he saw someone climbing into his vehicle,
told deputies he thought he hit the driver of the getaway car when he fired
twice after the driver allegedly pointed a gun at him, authorities said.

No residents of the neighborhood were injured.

The burglar who was trying to break into the truck ran toward the getaway
vehicle when he saw the gun-wielding owner. As he tried to climb into the
moving can, the suspect fell to the ground and his right arm was rolled over
by the car's right rear tire, authorities said.

The getaway car stopped and the suspect, described as a teenager, got into
the vehicle with his arm dangling as if it was broken, authorities said. The
car then sped away.

The Sheriff's Office checked local hospitals and has not found anyone with
gushsot wounds that hadn't already been reported to police or anyone treated
for a broken arm that fit the description of the suspect.

No charged were filed against the vehicle owner because he appeared to have
acted in self defense, Pohlmann said.

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