A Bogalusa man was arrested Monday, July 24, on burglary charges after hitting multiple convenience stores in and around Bogalusa, according to Maj. Percy Knight of the Bogalusa Police Department.

Knight, the public information officer for the BPD, said the arrest of Darnell Reed, 46, came a day after after the department received an alarm activation notice about a break in at the Tobacco Discount store in the 400 block of Memphis Street. When officers arrived on the scene, they found that the glass in the front door was shattered, and they determined that numerous packs of Newport and Kool menthol cigarettes had been taken, he added.

Detectives were able to retrieve surveillance video footage, and it showed “someone wearing a mask over their face breaking out the front door and then entering the building,” Knight said. “Once inside the building, the suspect raised his mask to look around, revealing his face. The suspect on the video was identified as Darnell Reed.”

The following day, officers were alerted about a suspect in several convenience store burglaries in the Bogalusa area. Officers were shown a picture of the suspect, Reed, and were told to be on the look out for him.
“As officers were patrolling the area for the suspect, they observed someone who matched the description walking on South Columbia Street near Davenport Avenue,” Knight said. “The suspect was detained and identified as Reed. He was carrying a large plastic bag that contained two boxes of candy and a large amount of Newport and Kool cigarettes.

“It was determined that the stolen property that Reed had in his possession came
from a burglary that occurred at the Tiger Den Exxon located just outside Bogalusa
the city limits on Louisiana Highway 21 South. Reed was charged with possession of
stolen things and that case was turned over to the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Department.
“Reed was additionally arrested for simple burglary for the incident at Tobacco Discount. A warrant for simple burglary will be issued on Reed on another convenience store burglary that occurred within the city limits of Bogalusa. And he is also the suspect in other convenience store burglaries in the Bogalusa area.”

Knight later said that Reed bonded out of jail on a $5,000 bond July 27, and on July 31 was arrested for the burglary of Classy Hair and Wigs on Columbia Street in Bogalusa.

“At approximately 11:14 p.m. on July 31 a BPD officer was patrolling in the 400 block of Columbia Street when he observed someone walking with a large trash bag in his hand,” Knight said. “As the officer passed by the suspect, later identified as Darnell Reed, he sat the bag down and started walking at a fast pace. When the officer turned his patrol car around to go back and investigate, Reed began to run. Reed was later captured on Columbia Street and arrested.

“The officers went back, located the bag Reed was carrying and it was full of merchandise. The large bag contained women’s shoes, purses, hair dryers and hairpieces. The officers checked Classy Hair and Wigs, which sells these types of items, and observed the front glass of the building had been broken out, and the store had been burglarized.”

Reed was charged with simple burglary of Classy Hair and Wigs. Also, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Department has an active warrant on Reed for simple burglary, Knight said.