2-20-23
LAFAYETTE POLICE HAVE RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF A HOMOCIDE VICTIM. TWENTY-YEAR-OLD JATRAVIAN CHEVELIER ( SHUH VAL EE AY) OF SAINT MARTIN PARISH WAS FOUND BY POLICE AT AROUND ONE-FIFTY THIS MORNING IN THE ONE THOUSAND BLOCK OF MUDD AVENUE. CHEVLIER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS BUT DID NOT SURVIVE. ANYONE WHO HAS INFORMATION ON THIS SHOOTING IS ASKED TO CALL LAFAYETTE CRIME STOPPERS AT TWO-THREE-TWO-TIPS.
TWO PEOPLE FROM BREAUX BRIDGE WERE KILLED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH IN SAINT MARTIN PARISH. AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING WHY FORTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHER THIBODEAUX DROVE OFF OF HIGHWAY THREE-TWENTY-EIGHT INTO A DITCH. AFTER EXITING THE DITCH, THE VEHICLE OVERTURNED SEVERAL TIMES IN A FIELD. THIBODEAUX, WHO WAS NOT WEARING A SEATBELT, SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES AFTER BEING EJECTED. WHILE HIS NEPHEW, SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD CARTER POTTS, WHO WAS BUCKLED IN, ALSO WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.
A LAKE CHARLES MAN DIED SATURDAY MORNING IN AN ACCIDENT ON I-TEN ABOUT TWO MILES EAST OF L-A ONE-OH-EIGHT. FIFTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD DUANE SPEARANCE WAS DRIVING A CHEVY BLAZER WHICH HAD A TIRE BLOWOUT, CAUSING HIM TO GO OFF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE FLIPPED MULTIPLE TIMES. SPEARANCE, WHO WASN’T WEARING A SEATBELT, WAS EJECTED AND WAS KILLED, ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE. A PASSENGER IN HS VEHICLE, WHO WAS WEARING A SEATBELT, SUFFERED MODERATE INJURIES.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ proposed $45.7 billion state budget for 2023-24 was presented to a joint legislative committee Friday morning. The budget includes $2,000 raises for teachers, hundreds of millions of dollars of additional funding poured into DOTD projects and a focus on funding education at all grade levels, with no significant cuts. While the Democrat’s proposed budget is being presented Friday, the Republican-dominated Legislature will craft a final version of next year’s budget during the legislative session that begins April 10.
AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF A FIRE AT THE SAINT FRANCIS MOTEL IN LAFAYETTE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE OF THE FIRE AT ELEVEN FIFTEEN A-M SUNDAY MORNING. THE MOTEL IS LOCATED AT SIXTEEN-OH-FOUR NORTH UNIVERSITY AVENUE, NEAR THE INTERSTATE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED.
THE KAPLAN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS CREATING REFLECTIVE SIGNS FOR HOMES NEEDING ADDRESS MARKERS. FIRE CHIEF JACOB FAULK SAYS THE SIGNS HELP FIRST RESPONDERS HAVE A BETTER RESPONSE TIME AND ARE BETTER ABLE TO LOCATE AN ADDRESS IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. HE SAYS HE HOPES PEOPLE REALIZE THE NEED AND ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING THEM. HOMEOWNERS WHO NEED THE REFLECTIVE SIGN CAN STOP BY OR CALL TO GET ONE, WHICH THEY CAN PURCHASE FOR TWENTY DOLLARS.
A LAKE CHARLES MAN’S DEATH IS BEING TREATED AS A HOMOCIDE. OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO THE FIFTEEN HUNDRED BLOCK OF O’BRIEN STREET AT AROUND FIVE-FIFTY SATURDAY MORNING BECAUSE OF A REPORTS OF AN UNRESPONSIVE MAN. THE MAN WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD WHEN POLICE AND ACADIAN AMBULANCE PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. THE BODY WAS IDENTIFIED AS FORTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD DERRICK JAMES THORNTON.
A SAINT LANDRY MAN WAS ARRESTED BY THE EVANGELINE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR INDECENT BEHAVIOR WITH A JUVENILE AND HIS BOND SET AT ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND HEARTS OF HOPE BEGAN AN INVESTIGATION ON JANUARY ELEVENTH WHERE THEY LEARNED THAT ADRIAN MERRELL HAD MULTIPLE INAPPROPRIATE CONVERSATIONS WITH A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD WHICH LED TO A MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO. MERRELL ALSO HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SEXUAL BATTERY, COMPUTER-AIDED SOLICITATION OF A MINOR AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY OF A JUVENILE. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
