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St. Landry deputies warn residents of suspicious vehicle

Posted at 6:00 PM, Jun 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-24 19:51:50-04

On Sunday, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office asked the public to be on the lookout for a white van that was reported following a woman’s vehicle.

The woman told deputies that the vehicle followed her on two separate occasions.

The most recent occasion, on Saturday night, the four men inside the vehicle allegedly pointed a gun at her in an attempt to get her to pull over.

According to Sheriff Bobby Guidroz, the woman kept driving until she could get to a family member’s home nearby and the van continued down Hwy. 182 toward Opelousas. It happened in the Grand Coteau area.

Investigators don’t know the make or model, but Crime Stoppers posted a photo on their Facebook page of a van that looks similar to the one involved in the incident.

Sheriff Guidroz says if something like this happens to you, call police.
“Get on your phone, dial 911, and tell the 911 operator what you’re doing, that you want to stay on the line because you got someone trying to pull you over and you’re afraid.”

The sheriff also says if you’re getting pulled over by law enforcement, you still need to be cautious to make sure the person who is pulling over is really an officer.

“A lot of times, people will buy these little police lights and put it on the dashboard in an attempt to stop someone as though they’re a police officer,” said Guidroz.

He offers tip for any time you’re being asked to get to the side of the road.

“Put your four-way blinkers on, get to a well lit area and then stop. Do not stop on the side of the road if you’re not sure if it’s a police officer,” asserted the the sheriff.

If you have any information about the vehicle or the men inside, call Crime Stoppers at  (337) 948-8477.