Bad drug deal leads to robbery, kidnapping

Mandeville police are asking the public’s help in finding two men who allegedly robbed and kidnapped a Hammond man a week ago.

Acting Mandeville police chief Capt. Ron Ruple said one of the three men involved in the crime has been found and is being held in the St. Tammany Parish Jail, but detectives are looking for the other two.

Ruple said around 5 p.m. June 24, police got a call of an armed robbery in the 3800 block of La. Highway 22. At first, the victim, Garrett Williams, 19, of Hammond would not tell the police everything, but after the case was turned over to detectives, the situation became clearer, Ruple said.

Williams and Chad Liberto, 21, of Ponchatoula had arranged to meet somebody in Mandeville to buy marijuana. Three men showed up in a pickup truck, and Williams got into their truck. Liberto stayed in his car.

Williams told police that as soon as he got into the truck, a man later identified as Nicholas Martin, 19, of Lockport, allegedly pulled out a gun and the truck drove away. Martin and the two other men demanded money and a cell phone from Williams. He stopped the truck and ordered him out. Williams told police the name of one of the two other men might be Jared, and that he lived in Larose.

With the help of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ruple said detectives were able to identify Martin. Lafourche Sheriff’s deputies were able to locate Martin and arrested him on June 27 as a fugitive from Mandeville. Martin was brought back to Mandeville and charged with armed robbery and aggravated kidnapping, and taken to the St. Tammany Jail.

Mandeville police are still looking for the other two men, and ask that if anyone has any information on the incident to call the Mandeville Police Department at 626-9711.