New Orleans man stole 2 vehicles and rammed deputy’s patrol car, Coast sheriff says
A New Orleans man accused of ramming a Harrison County deputy’s patrol car was driving a stolen vehicle he’d gotten after walking into a Biloxi home and demanding the keys, Harrison County Sheriff Troy Peterson said in release.
The burglary, theft, car chase and assault that followed resulted in the arrest of Charles Romelis Travis, 29, of New Orleans, on Monday, the release said.
Authorities arrested Travis on felony charges of receiving stolen property, attempted motor vehicle theft, motor vehicle theft, failure to stop for a motor vehicle when an officer signals to do so, burglary, and assault on a law enforcement officer, the release said.
The entire encounter started shortly after Travis abandoned a vehicle on Mississippi 67 and walked to a Dollar General Store nearby Sunday.
At the store, the release said, Travis robbed a customer of their car keys, and attempted to steal their vehicle, but couldn’t get it started and ran away.
From there, the release said, Travis walked into a home in the 16000 block of Willow Oak because the door was unlocked, confronted the resident to get their keys, and then fled in the stolen vehicle.
Shortly after that, authorities spotted the stolen car on Interstate 10 and chased it until Travis sped into the parking lot of the Home Depot on Cedar Lake Road and rammed into a Harrison County patrol car.
The stolen vehicle stalled at that point, the release said, and Travis fought with law enforcement officers before he was taken into custody.
After his arrest, authorities found the first vehicle Travis had abandoned on Highway 67. That car had been reported stolen out of New Orleans, the release said.
No injuries were reported.
Travis is being held at the Harrison County jail. Justice Court Judge Brandon Ladner set his total bond at $460,000.
