The driver accused of ramming a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detective during a pursuit in Marrero on Wednesday has been identified as a Florida man who led deputies on a similar chase in Harvey 10 years ago before he was convicted in a rash of smash-and-grab burglaries and bank frauds.

Markeivis Lethario Walker, 35, of Ft. Lauderdale, was arrested and booked with aggravated flight from an officer, hit-and-run driving and possession of stolen property, according to Sgt. Brandon Veal, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office.

Walker was also booked Wednesday with conspiracy to commit simple burglary, conspiracy to commit identity theft, conspiracy to commit theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Gunfire on Barataria

An unidentified deputy fired three shots at Walker after authorities say he smashed into a Sheriff’s Office vehicle that had boxed him in during a traffic stop on Barataria Boulevard near the West Bank Expressway just before 1 p.m.

Detectives had been conducting surveillance on Walker’s vehicle for past few days as part of an investigation into burglaries, thefts and identity thefts that have been reported in the New Orleans metropolitan area, according to Veal. 

No one was injured by the gunfire. After ramming the Sheriff’s Office vehicle, Walker drove south on Barataria in the northbound lanes, leading officers on a chase for about a mile, according to authorities. Walker was arrested after the car was stopped at Barataria and Lapalco boulevards. 

But his passenger, a still-unidentified man, slipped into the nearby Belle Terre neighborhood. He escaped despite a large search that included the Sheriff’s Office helicopter, drones and canine officers. 

The Sheriff’s Office at first reported that a woman had also been detained. But only Walker and the unnamed passenger were in the vehicle, according to Veal.

Walker was being held Thursday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. No bail information was immediately available. He was also booked with parole violation.

Walker’s conspiracy charges are linked to a Sept. 24 vehicle burglary at Elmwood Shopping Center, according to authorities. A woman reported that someone smashed a window on her car and stole her purse and credit cards while she was inside a business in the 1200 block of South Clearview Parkway.

Daycares and gyms

The burglary and identity theft charges mirror a case Walker faced in 2015 when Jefferson Parish detectives say he and a four-person crew from Florida targeted daycare and gym parking lots for smash-and-grab burglaries. 

The thieves were looking for victims likely leave wallets or purses behind, making off with checkbooks and debit cards, authorities said. They’d then loot bank accounts or try to cash stolen checks. 

Walker was arrested after he and his co-defendants led Jefferson Parish deputies on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash in the 2500 block of Manhattan Boulevard. 

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to 12 counts of bank fraud, 13 counts of simple burglary, two counts of identity theft and one count of resisting an officer in Jefferson Parish district court. He was out on parole when arrested this week.Â