Louisiana mom, Lesli Smith, honored by Slidell police for assisting in shoplifting chase

A Louisiana mother of three was honored Tuesday for lending police a hand – or in this case, her car – to help an officer chase down a suspected shoplifter over the weekend.

The pursuit began Saturday at a Dillards store in Slidell when Sgt. Jeff Kahrs was alerted to a shoplifting in progress, the Slidell Police Department said.

The suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Kelsey Baird, of Navarre, Florida, spotted Kahrs entering the store and discarded the items she was allegedly trying to steal, according to police.

When Kahrs tried to stop Baird from leaving the store, she ran through the parking lot and jumped into a car that was waiting outside, police said, adding that the vehicle was driven by Baird’s boyfriend, 43-year-old Eric Boudreaux, of Biloxi, Mississippi.

Police bodycam video shows Kahrs chasing Baird until she hops into the waiting car and speeds off through the parking lot.

That’s when a kindly stranger stops and asks Kahrs if he needs a ride.

“Want to hop in?” the good Samaritan says.

Kahrs accepted the assist and got in the car, helping the woman navigate to chase down the suspects.

“The citizen-officer duo safely followed the suspects, while Sgt. Kahrs gave a play to play to responding officers via his police radio,” police said in a statement.

Moments later, backup arrived to help take the suspects into custody.

Both Baird and Boudreaux were charged with theft and resisting an officer by flight. Baird was additionally charged with meth possession.

Police Chief Daniel Seuzeneau thanked the good Samaritan for lending his officer a hand.

“To the good Samaritan, who I spoke with this morning, people like you are the reason why Slidell is a great place to live and work,” the chief said. “Without hesitation, you assisted one of our officers… expecting nothing in return.”

On Tuesday, police identified the good Samaritan as Lesli Smith, a citizen of Slidell, and presented her with the Citizenship Award during a ceremony with police and Slidell Mayor Randy Fandal.

“All I was thinking at the time was, ‘How could I help?’” the mother of three said.

Smith added that she lived in Slidell all her life and wanted to emphasize how impressed she was with the police department’s hard work and response to the alleged shoplifting.

“I was so impressed, that was my most important thing I wanted to come across,” Smith told reporters at the ceremony. She added that after she dropped Kahrs off to apprehend the suspects, she made a U-turn and went back to shopping at TJ Maxx.

Seuzeneau warned in an earlier statement that any would-be thieves should think twice before preying upon businesses in Slidell.

“We will do whatever it takes to catch you and fully prosecute you. Stay out of our city,” he said.