Police recover $33K in stolen laptops during I-12 traffic stop; 4 arrested in multi-state crime spree

Photo: WWL

HAMMOND - Police in Tangipahoa Parish captured a group of suspected burglars tied to a group committing electronics heists across multiple states.

The Hammond Police Department says law enforcement spotted the thieves, tied to a string of Best Buy burglaries in Alabama, around 3:20 a.m. Monday after receiving a description of the suspects' vehicles. The vehicles, a Ford pick-up truck and a Toyota Camry, were stopped by officers monitoring I-12 near Hammond.

Officers initiated stops on both vehicles individually. In the trunk of the Camry, police found 27 Apple MacBooks totaling $33,849.74, apparently stolen from a Best Buy in D'Iberville.

Officers arrested four suspects: Pierre Jordan, 33, of Houston; Boris Johnson, 33, of Houston; Payton Stevens, 28, of Houston; and Jovan Washington, 27, of Houston. A fifth suspect fled the scene.

According to police, detectives believe the suspects belong to a group out of Houston, Texas that has been burglarizing multiple Best Buy stores throughout the I-12 corridor from Florida to Texas. In total, the group has stolen more than $2 million in merchandise.

Anyone with further information on the case is asked to contact police at 985-277-5758.