A 38-year-old man was arrested early Sunday morning following an attempted vehicle theft at an apartment complex on Lewisville Road.
Minden police were dispatched around 4:29 AM on June 22 in reference to a male subject reportedly pulling on the door handle of a running vehicle. The suspect was described as wearing a white T-shirt and light-colored pants.
Upon arrival, officers located a man matching the description who was seen loosening a light fixture. Officers gave loud verbal commands for the man to approach and remove his hands from his pockets. He complied and was detained for questioning.
The man identified himself as Andolini Ray. During the interview, dispatch provided officers with a still image from surveillance footage showing a man in a white T-shirt and white pants reaching for the door handle of a remote-started car.
Ray claimed he had been visiting a friend and was walking through the complex when he became involved in a verbal altercation with another man, whom he alleged had made racist remarks. He said the image showed him near the car because the other man was inside it at the time.
However, police confirmed through dispatch that the vehicle’s owner was not inside the car during the reported incident. Based on this and other evidence, Ray was placed under arrest for attempted theft of a motor vehicle.
As officers attempted to place him into a patrol unit, Ray reportedly refused to comply with commands and tensed up. Officers used minimal force to secure him in the vehicle.
A complainant later told police that her husband had remote-started his vehicle to prepare for work and, upon stepping outside, noticed his work boots were missing. He reportedly found them near Ray and observed him near the vehicle before contacting authorities.
All incidents were captured on surveillance footage, according to the report.
Ray was transported to the Minden Police Department and booked on charges of attempted theft of a motor vehicle, resisting an officer, and theft. He was later transferred to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center due to the felony nature of the charges.
All subjects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.