Kaplan man in jail after allegedly stealing a tractor and then tried to run from police in two parishes

A man from Kaplan is in jail after reportedly stealing a tractor and then attempting to evade the cops across two parishes.
According to Sheriff Eddie Langlinais, on November 19, 2024, at approximately 9 a.m., Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office – Patrol Division received a report of a stolen tractor in the Youngsville area, within Vermilion Parish.
The tractor was spotted near the Woodlawn Bridge on La- 82. The tractor then traveled on Woodlawn Road to Bourque Road, near La-92, where an officer from the Maurice Police Department attempted a traffic stop on the tractor.
To evade arrest, the driver of the tractor attempted to run the Maurice Police Officer off the road and fled from the scene.
Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol deputies arrived on scene and made several attempts at stopping the tractor before the driver crossed the Vermilion Parish / Lafayette Parish line.
Louisiana State Police – Region II, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Youngsville Police Department and Broussard Police Department were all contacted for assistance in stopping the tractor.
Spike strips were deployed, and the tractor was eventually rendered immobile at the intersection of Ambassador Caffery and South Morgan Avenue, in Broussard.
The driver of the tractor, identified as Mark Ardoin (W/M; DOB: 9/9/1977), has been booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center and is presently being transferred to Vermilion Parish Correctional Center, where he will be booked in on the charges of Felony Theft of a Motor Vehicle and Aggravated Flight from an Officer.
Sheriff Eddie Langlinais would like to thank Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Deputies, Maurice Police Department, Louisiana State Police – Region II, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Youngsville Police Department and the Broussard Police Department for their efforts in bringing this incident to a swift and safe conclusion.