Man on trial for robbing game stores

A man accused of robbing local video game stores is on trial this week in District Judge A. J. Hand’s courtroom.

Rick Wood, spokesman for District Attorney Walter Reed said testimony began last Wednesday afternoon after a 12-member jury was picked earlier last week in the armed robbery trial of Gregory Reaux of Hammond.

Reaux, who is on trial for three counts of armed robbery and one count of attempted armed robbery, was captured by deputies who were waiting outside the Game Stop store on U.S. Highway 190 near the Blue Harbor car wash in April 2009.

The stakeout was in response to previous robberies at other Game Stop stores in the area.

At the time of the arrest, Capt. George Bonnett, spokesman for the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, said Reaux was apprehended outside the Mandeville store after he appeared to be acting suspiciously and upon being approached, fled to the rear of the store discarding what was later discovered to be a box cutter.

At the time of his capture, Bonnett said, Reaux was in possession of a black mesh bag.

He said deputies were looking for someone who matched Reaux’s description, a short-haired black male over 6 feet tall and driving a while Chevrolet Monte Carlo, after a suspect with that same description robbed both the Slidell and Covington Game Stop locations as well as others outside of St. Tammany Parish. A black mesh bag and a box cutter were used in those crimes.

Wood said the jury was still hearing testimony from the prosecution Tuesday afternoon and he expected the defense to start presenting its case today. He said the case will likely wrap up before the week is over.