7-20-23
A STANDOFF IN GRAND COTEAU LAST NIGHT HAS ENDED. DANIELLE DUNCAN REPORTS.
VOICER K :27
LAST SUNDAY, WHILE LISA KUHFAHL OF LAFAYETTE WAS IN THE BACKYARD AND HER ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD PARALYZED GRANDSON WAS IN HIS BEDROOM, A MAN BROKE INTO THEIR HOME AND STOLE A BOX FROM LISA’S BEDROOM. WHAT HE DIDN’T KNOW WAS THE BOX CONTAINED THE ASHES OF LISA’S LATE HUSBAND. THE MAN WHO BROKE IN TURNED HIMSELF INTO POLICE AND TOLD THEM THAT HE THREW THE ASHES AWAY WHEN HE DISCOVERED WHAT WAS THERE. POLICE HAVE TURNED THE MATTER OVER TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE TO DECIDE IF CHARGES WILL BE BROUGHT AGAINST THE MAN.
LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF LANDRY ISSUED AN OPINION WEDNESDAY THAT THE LOUISIANA PARDON BOARD CANNOT WAIVE A PROCEDURAL HURDLE TO WEIGH CLEMENCY REQUESTS FROM PRISONERS ON DEATH ROW. FIFTY-SIX OF THE FIFTY-SEVEN PRISONERS FILED REQUESTS LAST MONTH ASKING THAT THEIR DEATH SENTENCES BE COMMUTED TO LIFE IN PRISON. LANDRY POINTED OUT THE BOARD’S OWN POLICY DOES NOT ALLOW IT TO CONSIDER REQUESTS MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER APPEAL RULINGS WERE ISSUED IN CASES. ALL OF THE PRISONERS’ REQUESTS WERE FILED MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER THEIR APPEAL RULINGS.
CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES USED A STUN GUN ON A MAN THEY WERE ARRESTING TUESDAY NIGHT AND THE MAN DIED A SHORT WHILE LATER. FORTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD DAVID HUNGERFORD OF LAKE CHARLES WAS REPORTEDLY STUMBLING AROUND CAUSING A DISTURBANCE AND MATCHED THE DESCRIPTION OF A SUSPECT WHO STOLE FROM A CONVENIENCE STORE. WHEN DEPUTIES ATTEMPTED TO ARREST HIM IN THE TWO HUNDRED BLOCK OF HIGHWAY ONE SEVENTY-ONE, HE BEGAN TO RESIST AND FIGHT, LEADING THE DEPUTIES TO USE A TASER GUN TO SUBDUE HIM. MOMENTS LATER HE BECAME UNCONSCIOUS AND THE DEPUTIES ATTEMPTED LIFESAVING MEASURES, BUT HUNGERFORD WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD LATER AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL.
THE MOTHER OF A THREE-YEAR-OLD NEW IBERIA GIRL, WHO WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD LATE SATURDAY NIGHT IS CALLING HER RECOVERY A MIRACLE. SHELBI TOUCHECK SAYS DOCTORS TOLD HER THE BULLET WENT IN THE FRONT OF HER HEAD AND OUT THE BACK, SHATTERING HER SKULL. SHELBI SAYS NOVAH HAS TO WEAR A HELMET BECAUSE A PIECE OF HER SKULL WAS REMOVED BY DOCTORS, AND SHE IS GOING THROUGH DIFFERENT THERAPIES INCLUDING SPEECH THERAPY, BUT IS IMPROVING. SHELBI TELLS KLFY TV IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE AND MANY PEOPLE ARE PRAYING FOR AND ROOTING FOR HER DAUGHTER.
A FORMER SAINT THOMAS MORE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER FACING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES WILL UNDERGO A PSYCH EVALUATION ON AUGUST FIRST IN LAFAYETTE. JACOB DE LA PAZ WAS INDICTED IN MAY BY A FEDERAL GRAND JURY ON A CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. A MOTION WAS FILED YESTERDAY FOR DE LA PAZ TO BE TRANSPORTED TO LAFAYETTE FROM THE SAINT MARTIN PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER FOR A PSYCH EVALUATION. THE LEAD PROSECUTOR DID NOT OBJECT AND THE JUDGE AGREED TO THE MOTION.
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH’S OFFICE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IS CELEBRATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE NINE-EIGHT-EIGHT SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE. SECRETARY STEPHEN RUSSO SAYS THEY ARE PROUD OF THE WORK THEY’VE DONE TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE NINE-EIGHT-EIGHT LIFELINE. SINCE ITS LAUNCH, THE CALL VOLUME FOR NINE-EIGHT-EIGHT HAS INCREASED BY ELEVEN PERCENT. ASSISTANT SECRETARY KAREN STUBBS SAYS THEY HOPE TO EXPAND THEIR REACH EVEN MORE AS THEY BEGIN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE LIFELINE.
THE WARDEN OF THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH JAIL WAS TERMINATED. SHERIFF BOBBY GUIDROZ TOLD KLFY TV THAT THE ACTION WAS TAKEN AFTER AN INVESTIGATION PROMPTED BY COMPLAINTS FROM EMPLOYEES OF THE JAIL. HE SAYS ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES WERE BROKEN SO THE WARDEN WAS TERMINATED. GUIDROZ SAYS THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING AND THEY ARE LOOKING AT THREE OTHER EMPLOYEES AT THIS TIME.
