Man convicted of running over Costco shopper gets lengthy prison sentence, reports say
A Louisiana man convicted in a string of violent carjackings faces 45 years behind bars, according to local news outlets.
Tyrese Harris, 20, was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday, June 27, months after pleading guilty to charges related to the carjackings, including one at a New Orleans Costco that left a woman seriously injured, WVUE reported.
He faced multiple charges including carjacking and gun charges, court documents show.
Investigators said the woman was filling up at a Costco fuel station on Feb. 1, 2022, when the suspect, later identified as Harris, hopped in the driver’s seat and sped off, McClatchy News reported.
The woman tried clinging to her car and was run over, police said.
She was knocked unconscious and suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured skull and broken bones, from being dragged 40 feet, The Times-Picayune reported.
Harris was accused in at least four other carjackings in the New Orleans area and received 20 years for the Costco incident, according to WDSU. He pleaded guilty to those charges in February.
He’s also being investigated for murder in the death of a 12-year-old boy, the station reported.
During his sentencing Tuesday, Harris apologized.
“It probably looks like I’m a monster, but if you get to know me, I’m a cool and fun person to be around,” he told Judge Jay C. Zainey, The Times-Picayune reported. “Everyone has a side where you’re tripping. If you don’t have that side, you aren’t human.”
Harris’ attorney, Michael Kennedy, said he was “disappointed” by the lengthy sentence, WWL-TV reported.
“We do want to express sympathy to any victims, their families and, as I said, to the community at large because we recognize this just did not affect certain people,” Kennedy told the station. “It affected our entire community.”
This story was originally published June 28, 2023 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Man convicted of running over Costco shopper gets lengthy prison sentence, reports say."