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CROWLEY POLICE AND ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES LOCATED A VEHICLE THAT HAD BEEN STOLEN IN A CARJACKING IN LAFAYETTE TUESDAY NIGHT. THEY ATTEMPTED TO STOP IT BUT THE DRIVER REFUSED TO PULL OVER. THE DRIVER HIT A POLICE VEHICLE DURING THE PURSUIT AND LEFT THE ROADWAY. A MALE JUVENILE, WHO IS FOURTEEN-YEARS-OLD, TRIED TO RUN FROM THE VEHICLE BUT WAS ARRESTED. A SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPON WAS RECOVERED FROM THE STOLEN VEHICLE.
FIREFIGHTERS RESCUED TWO DOGS IN A HOUSE FIRE BUT TWO OTHER DOGS WERE KILLED. A NEIGHBOR CALLED JUST AFTER NINE YESTERDAY MORNING AFTER SEEING SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOUSE, LOCATED ON PERKINS DRIVE. THE HOMEOWNER WAS NOT AT THE HOUSE. IT WAS DETERMINED THE FIRE STARTED ON THE TOP OF THE RANGE IN THE KITCHEN AND IS CONSIDERED ACCIDENTAL. IT TOOK FIREFIGHTERS ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, WHICH CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE HOME.
Amid a crawfish shortage in Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry has issued a disaster declaration for the impacted industry. Last year’s drought, extreme heat, saltwater intrusion on the Mississippi River and a hard winter freeze in the Bayou State have devastated this year’s crawfish harvest. According to the governor’s office, during a typical year, the state generates anywhere from 175 million to 200 million pounds of crawfish — contributing $500 million to the state’s economy annually. Potential losses to the state’s crawfish industry are estimated to be nearly $140 million.
A MAN, ARRESTED IN CALCASIEU PARISH BY STATE POLICE IN SEPTEMBER OF TWENTY-TWENTY-TWO AFTER COCAINE WAS FOUND IN HIS VEHICLE DURING A TRAFFIC STOP, WAS SENTENCED TUESDAY IN LAKE CHARLES. THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD DARWIN JOSE ESCALANTE-GARACHE FROM GULPORT, MISSISSIPPI CONFESSED IN NOVEMER HIS PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE THE COCAINE. HE WAS SENTENCED TO FORTY-SIX MONTHS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE COCAINE. IN A SEPARATE CASE, TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD TONI JANUARY OF LAKE CHARLES, WHO HAD PREVIOUS FEDERAL CONVICTIONS, WAS SENTENCED TO TWENTY-SIX MONTHS IN PRISON AFTER HE PLED GUILTY IN OCTOBER TO A CHARGE OF POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A PROHIBITED PERSON.
A NEW IBERIA TEEN, HIT BY A VEHICLE AND LEFT FOR DEAD, IS SPEAKING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE WAKING UP FROM A COMA. DANIELLE DUNCAN HAS MORE.
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THE PRESIDENT OF THE GROUP, ONE HUNDRED BLACK MEN OF GREATER LAFAYETTE, SAYS THEY ARE OPPOSED TO THE CLOSURE OF PAUL BREAUX MIDDLE SCHOOL. ALTON TRAHAN TELLS KLFY TV THAT HE LEARNED OF THE POTENTIAL CLOSURE DURING A MEETING WITH THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT. HE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY HISTORICAL BLACK SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT AND WAS NAMED AFTER A MAN WHO STARTED EDUCATION BACK IN EIGHTEEN-NINETY-SIX. TRAHAN SAYS HE LEARNED THAT THERE IS CONSIDERATION OF TURNING THE SCHOOL INTO A WAREHOUSE, WHICH HE CALLED APPALLING.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed eight recently passed bills including legislation that will treat all 17-year-olds who commit crimes as adults and harsher penalties for carjackings. He signed the bills Wednesday. The GOP-dominated Legislature gathered for a two-week special session last month to address crime. They passed a slew of policies that will overhaul elements of the state’s criminal justice system.
THE OPELOUSAS CITY COUNCIL BEGAN SORTING THROUGH TIME SHEETS TO DETERMINE WHAT FORMER POLICE OFFICER SAVANNAH BUTLER IS OWED. SHE IS ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AND WOUNDING POLICE CHIEF GRAIG LEBLANC AND HIS WIFE, CRYSTAL, JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN A DOMESTIC DISPUTE. BUTLER RECENTLY RESIGNED BUT SAID SHE WAS OWED MORE THAN SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR UNUSED LEAVE AND COMP TIME. THE COMMITTEE DECIDED TO PUT A HOLD ON A DECISION UNTIL THEY RECEIVE MORE DOCUMENTATION.
