Ruston Police arrested two people at the Dawg House Sports Grill on North Homer St. Thursday evening in connection with the theft of a purse and failure to pay for a meal.
When officers arrived, the manager stated two security guards were following a woman who took a purse belonging to another customer. Officers caught up with the woman Tellena Moreno, 38, of Ruston, and took her into custody.
The man who had been with her was detained but Remeenkia Crowe, 42, of Ruston, and tried to leave the scene. When officers tried to handcuff Crowe, he said he needed to remove his backpack. When given an opportunity to do so, he ran away from officers on foot. He was pursued until he was taken down by deploying a Taser. He then attempted to get up and run again but was stopped and after some resistance was taken into custody.
Moreno stated her boyfriend was supposed to pay for the meal. She said Crowe told her the purse she picked up was hers. Security camera footage was viewed and showed Moreno scanning the room before grabbing the purse and trying to hide it behind her leg as she left the restaurant.
Marino was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for two counts of theft less than $1,000. Crowe was booked for two counts of theft as well and also possession of Schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer, and a failure to appear warrant from Ruston City Court for resisting an officer. A hold was placed on Crowe by the Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
