Suspect accused of carjacking vehicle from Ponchatoula dealership arrested in Florida

August 10, 2024

PONCHATOULA, La. (WVUE) - A man accused of stealing a vehicle from a Ponchatoula car dealership is behind bars in Florida.

Timothy Joe Pierre, 37, was arrested in Navarre, Florida last Thursday (Feb. 22) around 5:30 p.m. after a chase with Santa Rosa County deputies led to a crash.

The Santa Rosa sheriff’s office says that they received information that Pierre was wanted for an armed carjacking in Louisiana that morning and identified the vehicle in question on Highway 98. Deputies say that the pursuit ended after they conducted a PIT maneuver and that Pierre was booked in Florida with fleeing and eluding.

Chief Bry Layrisson in Ponchatoula said that they believe before the carjacking incident occurred, Pierre abandoned a vehicle behind the Little Caeser’s Pizza on West Pine Street. Police identified the vehicle as Pierre’s after towing it from the parking lot.

Layrisson said that sometime after abandoning his vehicle, he made his way to Gateway Ford on US-51 with plans to steal a vehicle there.

“The suspect walked to Gateway and asked to test drive a truck,” Layrisson said. “While in Hammond, he pulled a firearm on the employee and forced him out of the truck.”

Hammond police say that the salesperson became suspicious during the test drive and asked Pierre to pull into a Starbucks coffee shop on SW Railroad Ave. It was there, police say, that Pierre allegedly pulled a gun on the salesman before ordering him out of the vehicle and speeding away.

Hammond Chief Edwin Bergeron said that the salesperson had the presence of mind to take photos of Pierre and alert the police. Hammond police then circulated the photos of Pierre with law enforcement along the Gulf Coast, which led to his identification in Florida.

Bergeron said that after Pierre faces the law in Florida, he’s expected to be booked with armed carjacking and aggravated assault in Louisiana. If he doesn’t bond out in Florida he will have to serve time there if convicted. He would then be extradited to Louisiana to face his charges thereafter time served.

If Pierre bonds out in Florida, Hammond police plan to file for extradition so he can face his charges in Tangipahoa Parish.

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