Sheriff’s detectives arrest man for looting home of a couple who had evacuated for Hurricane Isaac

Looting suspect John Canale Jr. of Chalmette is placed in an ambulance after admitted he had taken heroin.

Guns and other stolen items recovered in search of Canale’s residence.

A Chalmette man who had offered a neighbor his cell phone to call police when she came home from evacuating Hurricane Isaac to find she was burglarized, was arrested as the culprit a short time later, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

John Canale Jr., 28, 2905 Palmisano Blvd., will be booked with looting the home of a couple who lived nearby and had left for the hurricane, the sheriff said. He was taken into custody about 1 p.m. Thursday.

But Canale, who will also be booked with possession of firearms by a convicted felon, was taken to a hospital by ambulance for treatment of a possible overdose when he admitted he had used heroin.

Numerous guns stolen in the burglary, along with jewelry, money and other items were recovered in Canale’s residence during a search by sheriff’s detectives, said Sheriff Pohlmann, who said good police work led to the arrest.

Detectives developed Canale as a suspect after talking with him when they were investigating the case.