Gonzales, LA – Detectives with the City of Gonzales Police Department have made two arrests in connection with the Roussel’s armed robbery, located at 1486 N. Airline Hwy. in Gonzales, which occurred on July 14, 2015. Three additional suspects are still being actively sought relative to their part in this crime.
During this robbery, four black males were reported to have entered Roussel’s on the aforementioned date brandishing pistols after the store was emptied of everyone but employees. The employees were accosted by the suspects and ordered to lay on the floor.
After pilfering the jewelry display cabinets and the store’s safe, the suspects then stole the interior video surveillance DVR prior to leaving. The employees, whom were lying on the floor, reportedly overheard one of the four assailants expressing the desire to kill them all prior to them leaving.
Investigative leads the day of the robbery led detectives to another local area jewelry store where subjects fitting the same description had visited prior to the Roussel’s robbery. Video surveillance from this store was obtained by detectives which offered investigators the first clear look at the suspects and the vehicle which was being used
Forensic evidence developed from the processing of the interior of the Roussel’s crime scene was processed by the Louisiana State Police crime lab, and a fingerprint led to the identity of a juvenile from New Orleans with a prior history of committing armed robberies.
Investigators were also able to use of social media to identify the other three suspects and compare them to the video surveillance that had been secured earlier.
The three suspects were identified as Walter Johnson, 33, of 6320 Riverside Dr. Metaire, La., Jay Lyons, 22, of 157 Barnes Court Gretna, La., and Jaquendes Octave, 21, of 3812 Dulauey Drive Harvey, La. All of the suspects are members of a self-proclaimed gang called the “Truce Mob.”
On July 18, 2015, investigators received a phone call from FBI Atlanta and were informed that a subject had been stopped by a Georgia State Trooper. During this traffic stop, the trooper discovered a large quantity of diamond rings which ultimately were discovered to belong to Roussel’s. The driver of this vehicle was identified by the Georgia State Trooper as the brother of one of the robbery suspects by the name of Casey Johnson. Johnson was extradited back to Gonzales by GPD detectives and accompanied by Baton Rouge area FBI agents. He was arrested and booked on accessory after the fact to armed robbery.
The vehicle used during the robbery was located and seized by investigators in Jefferson Parish on July 22, 2015. The vehicle described as a red Infinity G35 was registered to Jay Lyons and is currently being held as evidence.
During the early morning hours of August 12, 2015, Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Jacquendes Octave Investigators were alerted of the traffic stop and conveyed to the trooper the armed robbery warrants that had been issued for Octave’s arrest. Octave is currently in the custody of Gonzales Investigators and being questioned. Octave will be booked on four counts of armed robbery, four counts of armed robbery with a firearm, and one count of felony theft in excess of 25K.
Efforts, with the assistance of the FBI, Baton Rouge Police, New Orleans Police and Atlanta Police, are currently ongoing to effect the arrest of the remaining three suspects in this case.
Anyone with any information relative to the whereabouts of the remaining two adults in this case are asked to call the City of Gonzales Police Department at 225-647-9536 or Crime Stoppers at 344-STOP.