Three arrested for 38 vehicle burglaries in St. Bernard over months; Also, three booked and one sought over shoot-out in which no was injured, resulting from feud

An arrest of three people found at a house in eastern St. Bernard Parish early Dec. 20 has led to two of them and another man booked with 38 vehicle burglaries throughout the parish and the recovery of stolen items including a handgun, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Booked with 38 counts of burglary and one of theft of a firearm were: Cody Holmes, 21; Greg Matlock, 19; and William Merritt, 24, all of eastern St. Bernard Parish. All are being held without bond in St. Bernard Parish Prison.

The sheriff’s Patrol Division, answering a call of three men on the property of a home in the 7900 block of East St. Bernard Highway before 8 a.m. on Dec. 20, arrested Holmes, Matlock and a relative of Holmes, Christopher Holmes, no age available.

Sheriff’s detectives got permission to search the home of a relative of Cody Holmes, where property including a handgun traced to a recent vehicle burglary was found, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Further investigation by detectives Trey Delaune and Michael Schiro led them to book Cody Holmes, Matlock and the third man, Merritt – who wasn’t with the others on Dec. 20 – with the 38 counts of vehicle burglaries and one count of theft of the gun from a vehicle.

The burglaries had taken place over recent months in Arabi, Chalmette and the Poydras area of eastern St. Bernard.

After investigation, Christopher Holmes was booked with two counts of residence burglaries and one of possession of stolen property, but no vehicle burglary charge. He is jailed without bond on a probation violation hold.

Sheriff Pohlmann said the arrests demonstrate a growing problem of criminals simply looking for whatever unlocked vehicle doors they can find and owners leaving guns, cash, cell phones and other items in unlocked vehicles.

Information obtained from the arrestees matched evidence that virtually none of the vehicles burglarized had been locked, but rather the men had simply walked about pulling on door handles and finding ones they could get into without breaking glass, the sheriff said.

Separately, the sheriff announced three other men have been arrested and one is sought over a shoot-out Dec. 13 on Daniel Drive in Violet in which no was injured, which had resulted from a feud.

Two groups of men, one from Plaquemines Parish and the other from Violet, fired at each other in the incident, according to information gathered, the sheriff said. No one was injured.

An investigation by sheriff’s detectives led to the arrests of three men for aggravated battery with a firearm, with the last arrest on Dec. 20.

Still sought on the same charge is Jeromy Thompson, 18, of Violet. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call the Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.

Those in custody include Keith Thompson, 22, of Violet, Troy Sino, 23, and Roy Ferrand III, 20, both of the Braithewaite area in Plaquemines Parish.
Thompson’s bond is $27,500, Ferrand’s bond is $17,500 and Sino’s bond is $25,000.