WPSO: Teen arrested for burglary

 

From staff reports

 

A Mt. Hermon teenager was arrested this week as a suspect in a recent burglary, according to Chief Deputy Mike Haley of the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Haley said that on Monday, an observant Mt. Hermon neighbor saw a suspicious person walking around a nearby residence and then heard the sound of glass breaking. The neighbor called the WPSO and Deputy Justin Blackwell responded to the scene. It was discovered that the residence had been burglarized and various items and firearms were missing, Haley said.

Haley said that Blackwell was able to learn the identity of the person who had been seen by the neighbor and began a search in the area. While patrolling, he reportedly observed the suspect riding in a vehicle being driven by another person. He made a traffic stop, arrested the suspect and recovered the stolen property, Haley said.

The suspect, Colby Stokes, 17, a resident of Elon Duncan Road in Mt. Hermon, was arrested and placed in the Washington Parish Jail and charged with burglary of an inhabited residence. He remains in jail with no bond set, as of Friday morning.

Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal commended Blackwell for “a job well done.”

“The observant eye of a good neighbor was a key to solving this crime quickly,” Seal said. “This is a great example of the importance of neighbors looking out for each other. Not only did the neighbor observe suspicious behavior, but also he took the important step of notifying the Sheriff’s Office.”