Auto theft lands man in not so hot water

A Catahoula man suspected of auto theft and attempted burglary was nabbed by sheriff’s deputies after he plunged into Bayou Mercier in an attempt to escape.
Joseph Richard, 30, was booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center on suspicion of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling and resisting arrest.
Shortly after 5 a.m. Friday, St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a complaint of a vehicle theft. Upon arrival at the scene, they developed the information that Richard had taken a vehicle from a residence off J.B. Road.
Deputies were searching the area for the suspect and the stolen vehicle when a call came in shortly after 6 a.m. reporting that a man had just broken into a residence on Bayou Mercier Road.
When challenged by the homeowners, the man attempted to flee by jumping into the bayou. Deputies arrived on scene and retrieved the suspect, who was identified as Richard.
Deputies subsequently located the stolen vehicle in a sugar cane field on Bayou Mercier Road and it was returned to the owner.