DENHAM SPRINGS, La. — A man with a long history of arrests was taken into custody after allegedly stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of meat by stuffing it into his pants at stores in Denham Springs.
According to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office (LPSO), deputies were called on Wednesday morning, August 20, after a man was seen leaving the Walmart Neighborhood Market with meat concealed in his clothing. Surprisingly, the man reportedly returned to the store shortly after to try the same scheme again.
Witnesses told deputies the suspect fled in a black Honda with no license plate. Officers from the Denham Springs Police Department later stopped the vehicle on Range Avenue near I-12.
Inside the car, deputies found several packs of hamburger meat and ribeye steaks in plain sight, with even more located in the trunk. Some of the meat was determined to have been stolen from a nearby Sam’s Club. Altogether, around $300 worth of meat was recovered, though none of it will be resold.
The suspect was identified as 57-year-old Michael Ardoin, who now faces felony theft charges. According to LPSO, Ardoin has a lengthy criminal record, including 74 prior arrests, 26 theft-related arrests, and nine theft convictions.
He was booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center.
