Two Hammond teens arrested for attempted burglary of church

By Erik Sanzenbach
St. Tammany News
Published on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 8:43 AM CDT

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

By Erik Sanzenbach

St. Tammany News

Two teens from Hammond who said they only wanted to play basketball in the gym at the First Baptist Church on Pontchartrain Drive were charged with attempted burglary Monday night by Slidell police.

Police spokesman Capt. Kevin Foltz said Carlos F. Sandoval, 19, and Brett C. Knapp, 19, both of 2309 U.S. Highway 190, Apt. J, Hammond, were caught in the act of trying to jimmy open a glass door at the church around 10:30 p.m. Police got a call from the alarm company alerting them to an alarm at the church. When police arrived, a K-9 officer came upon the two suspects as they were trying to jam a plant stem and a pair of headphones between two glass doors to get to the inside handle of the door.

The officer approached the two suspects and identified himself. Foltz said the suspects turned around, and one is quoted as saying, “Uh-oh.”

When questioned, Knapp claimed he graduated from the First Baptist School last year and had returned with Sandoval to play some basketball in the school’s gymnasium. However, the door they were allegedly trying to break into did not lead to the gym but to the school’s classrooms. There are also several basketball goals located in the rear parking lot of the school, Foltz said.

Also, when the school’s custodian showed up, he told police the two teens didn’t have permission to use the gym.

Both suspects were arrested and charged with attempted burglary.

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Comments

1 comment(s)

Neal wrote on Aug 7, 2008 11:54 AM:

" I don't condone the actions of the teens in the article, but I also don't condone Hammond's removal of the basketball courts from the Orange St. park. There aren't any other outdoor hoops in Hammond, and the ones at Orange St. were used daily (I live three houses away). "

WRITE A COMMENT

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. They review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive or off-topic content before posting. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The St. Tammany News is not liable for messages from third parties.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
* Personal Information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in thesttammanynews.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the St. Tammany News. The St. Tammany News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized St. Tammany News spokespersons.

Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.