THIBODAUX, LA (WAFB) – A man accused of stealing a truck from a business, then crashing twice before returning it to the business, is behind bars waiting to learn his bond amount.

The Thibodaux Police Chief Bryan Zeringue reported Perrion Smith, 28, of Thibodaux, is facing a felony theft charge.

Lt. Clint Dempster with TPD said officers were first called out to an attempted vehicle theft early Thursday morning. According to Dempster, police responded to a home on St. Louis Street around 7:15 a.m. because a home owner had captured video of someone pulling on the door handle of a vehicle. The suspect was not able to get into the vehicle because it was locked.

Dempster said the officers who watched the surveillance video recognized the suspect as Smith because of previous dealings with him and they even recognized his bicycle.

TPD reported officers were called out around 11:30 a.m. to investigate a stolen company work truck from a business on North Acadia Road. Officials said this happened while the officers were trying to get an arrest warrant for Smith in connection with the attempted vehicle theft from earlier that morning.

Investigators said the suspect’s description given by witnesses matched Smith. They added the clothing description also matched what Smith was seen wearing in the surveillance video from the first incident. They also said Smith’s bicycle was found near the site where the truck was taken.

Officials reported receiving word a short time later that the stolen truck had been involved in a hit and run crash in Terrebonne Parish. While officers were headed to that scene to investigate, the Thibodaux Police Department received a call from workers at the business where the truck was taken and they claimed the suspect had just returned there in the truck and had crashed into another vehicle.

According to investigators, after the second crash, Smith jumped out of the truck and ran off, with company workers chasing him. The employees couldn’t catch Smith, but a short time later, police did.

Smith was booked into the Lafourche Parish Detention Center on charges of vehicle theft. There is a pending warrant for attempted vehicle burglary, hit and run, and no driver’s license. There are also pending charges from Terrebonne Parish in connection with the first hit and run crash.