Police: Women stole 84 plants worth over $1,000 in Louisiana
by: Sharon Cummings
Two women have been arrested after police say they stole about 84 pots of flowers totally approximately $1,280.00.
According to the Natchitoches Police Department, on March 21, 2019 the Natchitoches Police Department received a theft complaint from an employee with the City of Natchitoches.
The complainant advised that someone removed approximately 84 pots of flowers from various locations in the downtown area and from a location near the City Park.
The thefts totaled approximately $1,280.00 and were forwarded to the Natchitoches Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division (CID).
Due to the downtown area being inundated with security cameras, Detectives Terry Johnson and John Wynn Jr. were able to review the surveillance footage and observe two females exiting their gray Honda pilot and placing stolen flower pots inside it.
During the investigation, detectives learned that the suspects had been attempting to sell flowers to multiple people in East Natchitoches and were able to identify the suspects as Amanda Irvin (aka "Mandy") and Brandi Smith.
On March 22, Brandi Smith came to the CID office where she was interviewed and confessed to taking the flowers with Amanda Irvin. She was then arrested.
On March 24, Amanda Irvin was brought into the CID office after being arrested for an unrelated theft at Wal-Mart. Irvin was interviewed and confessed to taking the flowers with Brandi Smith.
She was then arrested.
Both Amanda Irving and Brandi Smith were arrested for theft for removing approximately $1280.00 in flowers from the downtown area.
They were both placed in Natchitoches Parish Detention Center awaiting bond.
The investigation is still ongoing at this time. Anyone with any information about this case should contact Det. Terry Johnson at (318) 357-3858 or NPD at (318) 352-8101.