5-3-23
A LAFAYETTE MAN WAS KILLED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH IN SAINT JAMES PARISH. STATE POLICE SAY NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD DRAKE UPTON WAS NAVIGATING A LEFT TURN ON L-A FORTY-FOUR WHEN HE WENT OFF THE ROADWAY, OVERCORRECTED AND WENT OFF THE ROAD AGAIN, HITTING A TREE. THE VEHICLE OVERTURNED AND UPTON, WHO WAS NOT WEARING A SEATBELT, WAS THROWN FROM THE VEHICLE. HE WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL WHERE HE LATER DIED. THE CRASH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
A VILLE PLATTE WOMAN AND A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD JUVENILE WERE ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH A SHOOTING ON KIM DRIVE IN OPELOUSAS ON APRIL TWENTY-THIRD. TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD SIERRA MORRIS AND THE JUVENILE ARE EACH CHARGED WITH THREE COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND THREE COUNTS OF ASSAULT BY DRIVE-BY SHOOTING. INVESTIGATORS LEARNED THE SHOOTING STEMMED FROM MESSAGES EXCHANGED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIA THE PHONE. AT LEAST ONE MORE ARREST IS EXPECTED. THE VICTIM WAS TREATED FOR HIS INJURIES AND RELEASED.
AN IOWA MAN WAS AGAIN CONVICTED FOR ENTERING A HOME WITHOUT PERMISSION AND KIDNAPPING AN EIGHT-MONTH-OLD CHILD. MARCEL DUGAR WAS PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED ON THE CHARGES BUT THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL OVERTURNED THE CONVICTION BECAUSE HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO REPRESENT HIMSELF. DUGAR WAS ORIGINALLY SENTENCED TO THIRTY-SIX YEARS IN PRISON ON THE TWENTY-TWENTY-ONE CONVICTION AND THE SENTENCING FOR THE RECONVICTION WILL TAKE PLACE JULY FIFTH. IN TWENTY-TWENTY, DUGAR ENTERED A HOME THROUGH A KITCHEN WINDOW AND TOOK THE CHILD FORCIBLY FROM ITS GRANDMOTHER AND LEFT THE HOME. THE CHILD WAS LATER FOUND UNHARMED.
A bill that would prohibit doctors from performing gender transition procedures on anyone under the age of 18 in Louisiana, received bipartisan support in a legislative committee Tuesday. The measure will advance to the Republican-controlled House for debate. Proponents say the bill will protect kids from life-altering medical procedures until they are mature enough to make such serious decisions. Opponents argue that the procedures are life-saving for transgender youths.
A BILL INTENDED TO HOLD PEOPLE AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR BRINGING FENTANYL INTO LOUISIANA ADVANCED OUT OF A HOUSE COMMITTEE MONDAY. THE BILL KNOWN AS JAJA’S LAW, NAMED AFTER A TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO DIED AFTER TAKING A DRUG SHE DIDN’T KNOW WAS LACED WITH FENTANYL, WOULD ALLOW VICTIMS TO SUE PEOPLE OR FOREIGN STATES FOR DAMAGES RELATED TO THE UNINTENDED INGESTION OF FENTANYL. THE PROPOSED LAW SPONSORED BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN STEFANSKI OF CROWLEY WOULD PUT THE BURDEN OF PROOF ON THE PERSON OR FOREIGN COUNTRY. STEFANSKI HAS ALSO SPONSORED A BILL THAT WOULD CREATE HARSHER PENALTIES FOR THOSE CONVICTED IN TRAFFICKING FENTANYL.
YOUNGSVILLE POLICE SERGEANT BRIAN BAUMGARDNER HAS RESIGNED FROM THE CITY’S CIVIL SERVICE BOARD IN ANTICIPATION OF AN UPCOMING HIGH PROFILE TERMINATION APPEAL HEARING. THE APPEAL IS BY SERGEANT JUSTIN ORTIS, WHO WAS ONE OF THE RESPONDING OFFICERS IN THE CRASH OF FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER KAYLA REAUX IN NOVEMBER. LAST MONTH POLICE CHIEF RICKEY BOUDREAUX FIRED ORTIS FOR ALLEGEDLY VIOLATING DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES. BAUMGARDNER WROTE IN A LETTER THAT HE IS RESIGNING BECAUSE OF THE PROBABILITY OF RETALIATION BASED ON HIS VOTE IN THE TERMINATION APPEAL.
A CHURCH POINT MAN FACES CHARGES IN A DEADLY HIT-AND-RUN IN SAINT LANDRY PARISH. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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NEW IBERIA POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING ANOTHER FATAL HIT-AND-RUN CRASH INVOLVING A BICYCLIST THAT HAPPENED IN THE SEVENTEEN HUNDRED BLOCK OF CENTER STREET JUST AFTER NOON ON MONDAY. THE MALE BICYCLIST WAS FOUND LYING ON THE GROUND BY POLICE AND HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. BALDWIN POLICE CHIEF ANTHONY GIBSON SAYS THE SUSPECT CAR WAS FOUND LATE YESTERDAY AT A BODY SHOP THERE BUT, SO FAR, NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE. VIDEO SURVEILLANCE AND DEBRIS FROM THE VEHICLE LEFT AT THE SCENE OF THE CRASH HELPED POLICE TO IDENTIFY THE SUSPECT VEHICLE.
