Woman climbs roof of gas station, officers forced to use stun gun

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, October 10, 2018

One woman was arrested Sunday morning after climbing on the roof of a local gas station, while a second woman was arrested in an unrelated shoplifting incident that also found her to be in possession of items stolen from a store in Hammond, La.

According to Picayune Police Department reports, back up officers were requested to the Pit Stop convenience store on Highway 11 Sunday just before noon in reference to a woman on the roof, who was refusing to get off the building. The report states that she was yelling obscenities to the officers and refused to get off the roof after several requests to do so. The woman was identified as 37-year-old Victoria Cazes Pope of 323 E. Third St., Picayune.

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While on the roof, Pope was grabbing onto the power lines above the building in an attempt to shock herself, the report states. 

Her actions caused the officers to climb to the roof of the building and coax her to a safe location on the roof before using a stun gun to subdue her and take her into custody. A ladder truck from the Picayune Fire Department was called to help remove her from the roof, before she was transported to Highland Community Hospital for treatment due to her suicidal tendencies, the report states.

A couple of hours later, Pope fled the hospital with a saline lock still attached to her hand and went to the Waffle House on Highway 11, a location where she had been previously told not to return, the report states.

She was arrested for trespassing and after being taken to the hospital to remove the saline lock, was booked into the municipal jail, the report states.

In an unrelated incident, officers were called to the local Walmart on Sept. 29, in reference to a woman leaving with a number of items without paying. Officers arrived to find the suspect, later identified as 49-year-old Tina Louise Wilhelm, of 2361 Rocky Dedeaux Road, Kiln, getting into her vehicle. A stop was conducted on the vehicle, and Wilhelm was asked to exit the vehicle, after which the officer located the stolen items, totaling $557. Items taken from the store varied from decals, to dash cameras to a gun case, the report states.

While searching the vehicle, the officer found about $1800 worth of power tools allegedly stolen from a Lowe’s in Hammond, La., the report states.

Wilhelm was taken into custody for shoplifting and possession of stolen property, the report states.