The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office foiled the plans of copper thieves on Monday, July 6, 2026 who had targeted a warehouse at a LaPlace business. One person has been arrested and three vehicles along with two trailers being used in the burglary were seized by the St. John Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives with the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to Liberty Steel at 138 Highway 3217 in LaPlace at 11:56 a.m. regarding a burglary in progress. Upon arrival the SJSO deployed a Sheriff’s Office drone equipped with thermal cameras to provide aerial reconnaissance to the officers on the ground.
At 12:09 aerial surveillance observed one person dressed in dark clothing walking near a wooded area. The detective also spotted two unoccupied vehicles and a person riding on an ATV.
Meanwhile officers on the ground were canvassing the area for the suspicious subjects and found a third pickup truck that had been covered with tree branches in an attempt to camouflage it. A trailer was found next to the truck that also was camouflaged with tree branches.
Officers arrested Vance Bordelon, 33, of New Orleans who was found in a nearby wooded area.
Bordelon was booked with possession of tools for a crime (felony) and simple burglary. He is being held in the St. John Parish jail under a $25,000 bond set by 40th JDC Judge Sterling Snowdy.
The Sheriff’s Office is continuing the investigation and additional arrests are expected.
Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office TIPS line at 985-359-TIPS or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111. Citizens can also submit tips on the Sheriff’s Office website at https://stjohnsheriff.org/crime-arrests/crime-tips/give-us-a-general-crime-tip/