Two teenaged suspects were apprehended by police early Sunday morning after a report of potential vehicle burglars in the Roberts Street area in Ruston.
At about 4:43 a.m. Sunday morning, Ruston Police responded to a citizen’s call reporting two individuals attempting to enter vehicles in the 900 block of Roberts Street.
Officers reviewed surveillance footage provided by the homeowner, according to Lt. Kayla Loyd, public information officer for RPD. The video showed the two individuals attempting to gain entry into the vehicle in the driveway. The suspects were unsuccessful because the vehicle was locked.
Officers circulated in the area to attempt to locate the two suspects. Louisiana Tech Police, who were monitoring RPD radio traffic of the incident, also patrolled the vicinity looking for the suspects.
At 5:30 a.m., Tech Police officers located two individuals walking on West California Avenue near Roberts Street. RPD officers met with Tech officers and identified the two individuals as the two suspects who attempted to enter the vehicles in the surveillance video.
Zyhiem McCallister,18, and a 16-year-old juvenile were taken into custody.
During questioning, McCallister admitted to pulling on vehicle door handles. The investigation revealed several other vehicle burglaries occurred in the same area with at least two involving stolen firearms.
McCallister was transported to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center where he was booked for attempted vehicle burglary, two counts of vehicle burglary, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
McCallister was arrested by RPD in the early morning hours of February 3 after a foot chase in which he allegedly discarded a stolen pistol, marijuana, and a camouflage face mask. In March, he entered a guilty plea in Third District Court and was sentenced to a $100 fine plus court costs or 60 days in jail. However, the sentence will not be imposed until June.
The juvenile was taken to Green Oaks Juvenile Detention Center in Monroe where he was booked for attempted vehicle burglary and two counts of vehicle burglary. More charges are pending and the investigation into other vehicle burglaries are ongoing.
Chief Eric Watson said despite the arrests, citizens need to continue taking precautions to protect their vehicles by removing valuables and locking up.
“We know there are other vehicle burglars. The two are not the only ones,” Watson said. “We are continuing the investigations into the other ones and continuing to seek the suspects.”
Watson, about 10 weeks into his new position as chief, recently formed a directed patrol unit to focus on specific, ongoing issues such as the continuing vehicles burglaries.
“The directed patrol unit operates with a focused mission—strategically deployed patrol based on identified needs,” Watson said. “I work closely with directed patrol supervisor, Sgt. Ethan Williams, along with lieutenants, sergeants, and the Criminal Investigations Division to determine where the unit can be most effectively utilized.
Officers assigned to directed patrol focus on the problem issue and typically to not respond to calls or other activities that would take away from that mission.
Watson said the unit has been directed to concentrate on efforts to deal with the vehicle burglaries.
“The officers assigned to this newly established unit have fully embraced their roles, and Sgt. Williams is providing strong leadership in its development. As staffing increases, we are optimistic about the potential for the unit to expand and further enhance our proactive policing efforts.”
Loyd said RPD would like to thank the Louisiana Tech Police Department for its assistance in locating the suspects. “We look forward to continuing our strong partnership in the future,” she said.
“We would also like to thank the public for their prompt calls and providing surveillance footage, which undoubtably played a key role in identifying and capturing the two vehicle burglars,” Loyd said. “We would like to remind everyone to make sure vehicles are locked and all valuables and firearms removed at night. Together we can make a difference.”
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