GRETNA, La. — Residents living at the Creeks of River Ridge Apartments woke up Wednesday morning to find at least 62 vehicles broken into.
“I was just taking my dog for a walk, and I had to walk past my car," Payton Travis said. "And I started walking and I see glass everywhere and I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ Then I start looking and there’s caution tape on like everyone’s windows, glass is everywhere.”
Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said they responded to a report around 2 a.m. of a car burglary.
“I had heard something last night because I was up kind of late. I thought I heard yelling, but it was also hard to hear cause of the storm," Molly Sheehan said. "So I didn’t bother to look out the window, but I wish I would have now.”
“It’s unfortunate for sure. It’s not something I was happy to see," Tyler Netherland, "So I just spent the morning cleaning it up. Hope to get it repaired soon, but I would also like to know what happened.”
According to JPSO, there were four suspects.
They arrested two brothers from New Orleans who are 12 and 14 years old.
Their 42-year-old mother, Tiffany Broomfield, was also arrested later.
“She arrived at our detective bureau for her two sons. Refused to allow them to have any comment, which is certainly within her right to be able to do so, continued to argue with our deputies, refused to leave," Sheriff Joe Lopinto said. “She had several warrants and attachments out for her arrest. She also resisted arrest against our officers. So, she went to jail.”
According to the Sheriff, the third suspect got away after jumping in a woman's car who was nearby.
That suspect later crashed the woman's car, with her in it, and got away on foot.
A deputy fired two shots at the fourth suspect who was armed, according to JPSO.
The fourth suspect fled the scene in a separate vehicle, driving towards New Orleans on the Earhart Expressway.
“My deputies are going home at the end of the night," Lopinto said, "And that’s the case so if you’re out at 2 o’clock in the morning committing burglaries with a gun. Rest assured that’s a deadly weapon and we’re going to react accordingly.”
The Sheriff said they checked with local hospitals, and no one was admitted with any gunshot wounds. He believes the suspect wasn't injured by the deputy.
Now, JPSO is still looking for the third and fourth suspects.
“This time and age, 2 o’clock in the morning, you have a 12-year-old and 14-year-old out there just committing burglaries, with whoever, I have no clue who they were with right now, and the parents don’t even know where they are. I mean I’ve got 12-year-olds, I know where they are at 2 o’clock in the morning," Lopinto said.
Lopinto said the arrests came after 62 car burglaries were committed in the apartment complex. He said four people were breaking into vehicles inside of the complex and that deputies responded. He said the fact that the complex only has one way in and one way out allowed deputies to block the exits and make the arrests of the two youngsters.