GRETNA, La. — A 16-year-old convicted carjacker was sentenced to 55 years in prison for a carjacking incident that occurred in Harahan earlier this year.
Maurice Ervin was found guilty by a Jefferson Parish jury after an hour of deliberations culminated a two-day trial.
Ervin was prosecuted as an adult for the February 12 carjacking and police chase.
According to court testimony, Ervin had a pistol and was wearing a ski mask and trying to enter apartments in the 1900 block of Hickory Avenue on that date. Some residents who saw the activity called 911.
At the same time, a man and woman were driving along and stopping to take some photos of roof work being done nearby as they were seeking a roofer to repair damage from Hurricane Ida.
According to testimony, at some point the man stopped the vehicle on Hickory Avenue to take a photo, and while he was out of the car, Ervin jumped in to the driver's seat. The woman tried to grab her cell phone but Ervin pointed a pistol at her and put the car in reverse.
The man returned to the car and was apparently unaware of what was going on, but when he got back into the car, the man was able to grab the base of Ervin's gun. The woman was able to escape and the man fell to the ground and was dragged a short distance and had his foot run over by the car.
Another call was placed to 911 and court testimony said that the caller followed the vehicle until the Harahan Police and later Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office was able to pick up the pursuit.
Law enforcement chased the car through a construction zone near the Huey P. Long Bridge before the stolen car struck a utility pole. Ervin was arrested a short time later.
