LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — A previously convicted felon pleaded guilty in federal court to three counts of carjacking from a February 2019 incident.

United States Attorney David C. Joseph said Manuel King, 30, of Lafayette, carjacked three separate people. The first victim was standing next to his Jeep Grand Cherokee in a Wal-Mart parking lot when King approached and threatened him with a Kimber 9mm semi-automatic pistol. King took the victim’s wallet and drove away in the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, King crashed the Jeep and proceeded to carjack a second victim. He crashed that car and then carjacked a third victim. 

He was pursued by police, eventually crashing the third car into a pond. At that point, he was arrested and was still in possession of the 9mm pistol he used during each carjacking incident. King’s wallet was found in the second victim’s vehicle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Lafayette Police Department, and Lafayette City Marshal’s Office conducted the investigation.

His sentencing is set for June 18, 2020. For each count, King faces up to 15 years in federal custody, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.