Zachary Carroll has been a thorn in the side of fire departments along the I-10 corridor.
It appears he began his journey in Lafayette back in 2015 where he allegedly stole radios and fire suits from the Milton Fire Department.
In the following weeks, firefighters noticed extra company on the scene.
“An individual that was responding to fire scenes and it was a strange vehicle. Once the sheriff’s department stopped him and put two and two together and found some of the equipment in his possession where they were able to link Mr. Carroll to the burglary at the Milton Fire Department,” explains Captain Alton Trahan with the Lafayette Fire Department.
Carroll’s Facebook page is filled with emergency personnel paraphernalia.
One photo shows him fully dressed to battle a blaze and another shows several communication radios, similar to the one stolen from fire departments in St. Tammany, St. Landry, Lafayette, and Washington parishes.
“Someone had broken into two of our fire stations and we noticed some radio equipment was missing from our fire trucks and they were able to find the equipment within his possession as well,” Trahan says.
He adds that on several occasions Carroll responded to fire calls but always kept his distance, equipped with department-issued radios and gear.
“One thing we don’t want is someone giving a false sense of security to the public, that he either may or may not be related to the fire department.,” Trahan says.
As of Friday afternoon, Carroll has posted bond and is currently awaiting court dates in multiple parishes.