N.O. man arrested for stealing 300 gallons of used cooking oil from a restaurant was driving wildly as he fled, using turning lane of La. 46 to pass vehicles

A New Orleans man being chased for stealing 300 gallons of used cooking oil at a Chalmette restaurant was caught, but not before driving wildly as he fled, even using the turning lane of La. 46 as he sped past vehicles, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Frank Nelson, 57, 7543 Tricia Court, was booked with theft of about 300 gallons of used cooking oil, worth more than $500 at re-sale, which was kept behind a restaurant, and with reckless operation of a vehicle following the 9:30 a.m. incident.

Nelson is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $10,000.

The owners of the restaurant arrived about 9:30 a.m. and found a large pick-up truck with a Texas license plate and an oil tank and hoses attached to the rear was parked behind the restaurant, the sheriff said. When the driver pulled out of the parking lot they found their 300-gallon drum kept in that area was missing the used cooking oil it held from the restaurant.

The owners started following the truck while calling the Sheriff’s Office for help, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Sheriff’s deputies responded and Capt. Walter Dornan saw the wanted vehicle being driven west-bound at a high rate of speed and using the center turning lane on La. 46, which has two lanes divided with a turning lane, to pass other vehicles also west-bound, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Dornan was able to stop the driver of the truck at La. 46 and West Beauregard. Nelson got out of the truck and told Dornan he was sorry for stealing the oil from the restaurant, the sheriff said.

Nelson was jail, where he was also booked with not having a valid driver’s license.