Man caught after alleged theft, chase

• Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
• Published: Jul 7, 2009 - Page: 4B

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STARHILL — An Angola prison chase team and West Feliciana Parish sheriff’s deputies searched for almost three hours Monday before capturing a man accused of stealing a vehicle in Baker and abandoning it when Sheriff J. Austin Daniel confronted him two hours later.

Daniel said he spotted the stolen Ford Expedition at a truck stop north of U.S. 61 and La. 964. At 2 p.m. he and a deputy attempted to stop it near the Thompson Creek bridge.

The driver jumped out of the vehicle before it came to a complete stop, however, and ran into thick woods bordering the creek, the sheriff said.

The chase team, using bloodhounds, and sheriff’s deputies tracked the man until he was captured shortly before 5 p.m., Daniel said.

Baker police Lt. James Broussard said a woman left her purse and the keys inside the Expedition when she went into a Main Street bait shop at noon.

Daniel said the suspect, Ashley Collins, 33, 71608 Rafe Meyer Road, Alsen, was booked in West Feliciana Parish with possession of stolen things and resisting arrest by flight.

Broussard said Collins will be booked at East Baton Rouge Parish with auto theft.

Deputies recovered the woman’s purse inside the vehicle.