A trip to sell a used vehicle motor and transmission turned into a gunpoint robbery attempt in LaPlace, according to the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office, which said deputies stopped the crime in progress and arrested three men on Sept. 13, 2026.
Deputies responded to a 911 call at 4:26 p.m. after someone reported being robbed at gunpoint, according to the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office. The caller told investigators he and a friend had gone to a home in the 600 block of South Golfview Drive to sell a vehicle motor and transmission for $1,800, the sheriff's office said.
Once they arrived, one of the men allegedly took the friend's truck keys and backed the vehicle into the driveway, according to the sheriff's office. Two armed men then confronted the pair, and one pointed a gun at them and demanded they hand over the motor and transmission without paying for it, the sheriff's office said.
Caller Escaped and Flagged Down Help
The caller was able to run away and contacted the Sheriff's Office to report what had happened, per the same account. When deputies arrived, they found one victim and one robbery suspect outside the residence, with two additional suspects located inside the house shortly after, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies also recovered two guns that had been hidden in the attic of the house, according to the sheriff's office. As WWLTV reported, the incident left the friends who had come to make the sale confronted at gunpoint before they could complete the transaction.
Three Men Booked on Armed Robbery, Conspiracy Charges
The sheriff's office identified the three men arrested and booked on armed robbery and criminal conspiracy charges as Rashad Keeane Brown, 31, of Reserve; Lykem Lyjah Thomas, 22, of LaPlace; and Kenyon Lionel Diggs, 30, of LaPlace. All three were held in the parish jail under a $22,500 bond set by Judge Vercell Fiffie, the sheriff's office said.
Diggs was reported released on Sept. 14 after posting bond, and Thomas was reported released the following day, also after posting bond, according to the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office did not report a further update on Brown's status following his booking.
