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Man pleads guilty in Costco carjacking where woman was dragged

Tyrese Harris was 18 years old when he allegedly carjacked Kelleye Rhein while she was pumping gas at Costco

NEW ORLEANS — The suspect in the brutal carjacking at a Costco in New Orleans last February pleaded guilty to five charges in federal court, according to his attorney.

Those charges include carjacking, conspiracy to commit carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (carjacking), and carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury.

He faces a minimum of seven years and a maximum of life in prison.

Tyrese Harris was 18 years old when he carjacked Kelleye Rhein while she was pumping gas at Costco. Police say Rhein was fueling her car when Harris climbed into her car and drove off. Rhein was dragged by her own car for about 40 feet through the parking lot. She suffered a fractured skull and several cuts in the attack.

Harris' defense attorney Michael Kennedy said in a statement: 

“Mr. Harris did plead guilty as charged to all five counts of the superseding indictment. Sentencing is set for May 30, 2023. My client is quite young (19 years old at this time). He opted to plea guilty as charges rather than put the victims of his various crimes and his family through the process of trial. Obviously, we still have his state charges to contend with. But I can tell you that my client understands he made serious mistakes. He has accepted responsibility. Obviously, he hopes this acceptance of responsibility will reflect favorably in his sentencing, but he pled with absolutely no expectation of that. He wants to move forward, whatever that looks like. “

While being questioned about the carjacking, Harris admitted to fatally shooting a 12-year-old child and leaving him to die on a New Orleans East road last January.

He faces a murder charge in a separate state case.

Harris was involved in various crimes as well as a group of auto thefts in Oakwood Park in Metairie last January. He was also linked to other carjackings in New Orleans.

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