Ruston Police arrested three men Saturday morning after they were observed by security at a Ruston housing development committing vandalism.
Police responded to Tanyard Creek off Barnett Springs Avenue about 4 a.m. Saturday morning. A security officer said several individuals were seen breaking exterior lighting on some of the residences and pulling up plants from the lawns.
However, when a large gathering at one of the residences was contacted by officers, none were inclined to assist in identifying the suspects. The security officer said the individuals who were observed coming into Tanyard Creek were not present at the residence. Police later spotted suspects near the wood line of the property and attempted to contact them. The men ran into the woods but were detained shortly.
During questioning, Lane S Thomas said he did not damage anything but watched the others commit the vandalism. When asked to produce identification, Thomas provided a Mississippi driver’s license indicating his birthdate was in 2002 but police later determined it to be 2004. Thomas said he received the fake ID from someone in Alabama through a chat room.
Kaiden O’quain said he damaged three or four of the lights and Thomas confirmed that he saw O’quain do so.
The security officer said he saw one of the individuals who pulled up the plants from the lawns enter one of the houses in an apparent attempt to hide. Eli Lester was identified as the individual who entered the residence.
The trio was booked at follows:
Eli Samuel Lester, 21, of Quitman, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. Bail $5,000.
Kaiden O’quain, 19, of Rayville, simple criminal damage to property and resisting an officer by flight. Bail $2,000.
Lane S. Thomas, 19, of Arcadia, conspiracy of commit simple criminal damage to property, resisting an officer by flight, and possession of a fictitious driver’s license. Bail $1,000.
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.
