A Louisiana mother of three received recognition recently for her quick thinking and assistance to the police in a shoplifting incident.
It all started last Saturday at a Dillard’s store in Slidell. The Slidell Police Department reported that Jeff Carrs was caught in the act of stealing.
Kelsey Baird, 34, from Navarre, Florida, noticed him as he entered the store and discarded items she had allegedly tried to take.
According to police, Carrs attempted to stop Baird from leaving, prompting her to dash across the parking lot and hop into a car driven by her boyfriend, Eric Boudreau, 43, from Biloxi, Mississippi.
Body camera footage from the police shows Carrs chasing after Baird, quickly jumping into the vehicle, and driving off.
At that point, a Good Samaritan intervened, asking Carrs if he needed a ride.
“Do you want to jump in?” the stranger offered.
Carrs accepted the help, hopped into the car, and assisted the woman in navigating the pursuit.
“The citizen and officer worked together to safely pursue the suspects while Sergeant Carrs communicated with other responding officers,” the police stated.
Backup quickly arrived, leading to the suspect’s apprehension.
Baird and Boudreau faced charges including theft, evading police, and resisting arrest, with Baird also charged for having methamphetamine.
Police Chief Daniel Suznow expressed gratitude towards the community members who stepped in to assist.
“To the Good Samaritan I spoke to this morning, people like you make Slidell a wonderful place to live and work,” the chief said. “You helped one of our officers without expecting anything in return.”
On Tuesday, police recognized the Good Samaritan, who turned out to be Leslie Smith, a local resident. She was awarded the Citizen’s Award during a ceremony officiated by the police and Slidell Mayor Randy Fandal.
“I just wanted to know how I could help,” said Smith, reflecting on her spontaneous act.
A lifelong resident of Slidell, Smith expressed admiration for the police’s dedication in dealing with the shoplifting incident.
“I was quite moved. That was my main concern,” she shared with reporters after the ceremony, adding that after the incident, she returned to shopping at TJ Maxx.
In a previous statement, Suznow cautioned potential thieves to reconsider targeting businesses in Slidell.
“We will pursue and thoroughly prosecute anyone attempting to commit crimes in our city,” he warned.
