Two teenagers are in custody following a vehicle pursuit that started after they were caught burglarizing vehicles in a Covington-area subdivision early Sunday morning. Deputies were dispatched to the Timberlane subdivision shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday morning after a resident observed two individuals attempting to burglarize his vehicle. Responding deputies located the perpetrators’ truck exiting the subdivision and attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle failed to stop, and deputies gave chase.
The pickup truck continued into Madisonville at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Near the intersection of Main Street and Highway 22, the vehicle struck two St. Tammany Parish patrol units. The passenger of the truck, a 16-year-old male from Hammond, was removed from the vehicle, charged, and released to the custody of his mother.
The driver, Mark Fridge, from Picayune, continued to attempt to flee and fought with deputies as they attempted to restrain him, punching one deputy in the face and kicking others. Once secured, Fridge was transported to a local-area hospital, where is being treated for injuries. The deputies did not require medical treatment.
Upon his release, Fridge will be booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on numerous charges. Deputies located a bottle of prescription drugs stolen from a vehicle in the Timberlane subdivision inside the truck, and three firearms, also all believed to be stolen, in the bed of the truck.
Sheriff Randy Smith urges residents throughout St. Tammany Parish to use these arrests as a reminder to always lock their vehicle doors and to call 911 anytime they observe suspicious activity.
