7-23-19
DEPUTIES WITH THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE ARE ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC’S HELP IN FINDING A MISSING TEENAGER. MEGAN KELLY HAS MORE.
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THE JENNINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT IS REESTABLISHING THEIR NARCOTICS UNIT IN AN EFFORT TO COMBAT DRUG DEALING IN THE CITY. POLICE CHIEF DANNY SEMMES TELLS KLFY TV THAT THEY ARE ALSO IMPLEMENTING NEW POLICIES TO ATTACK THE DRUG PROBLEM. HE SAYS DRUG DEALERS AND CRIMINALS ARE EVOLVING AND THEY HAVE TO EVOLVE WITH THEM. SEMMES SAYS A LOT OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS A RESULT OF DRUG PROBLEMS AND THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
A SHOPLIFTING SUSPECT AT THE WALMART IN BREAUX BRIDGE TRIED TO ELUDE ARREST OVER THE WEEKEND BY RUNNING ACROSS I-TEN, ACCORDING TO POLICE CHIEF ROLLIE CANTU. 34-YEAR-OLD LUKE MARTIN RAN FROM A WALMART LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER THROUGH A CAR DEALERSHIP LOT AND THEN DODGED TRAFFIC ON I-TEN BEFORE FINDING A CAMPER AT A LOCAL BUSINESS TO HIDE IN. EMPLOYEES AT THAT BUSINESS LOCKED MARTIN INSIDE THAT CAMPER UNTIL POLICE ARRIVED TO ARREST HIM. MARTIN WAS CHARGED WITH THEFT OF GOODS.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN NO HUMAN CASES OF THE WEST NILE VIRUS IN LOUISIANA. LAST YEAR BY MID-AUGUST, THERE WERE 53 REPORTED CASES. LOUISIANA MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGIST KYLE MOPPERT TELLS THE ADVOCATE IT WILL PROBABLY BE A DOWN YEAR THIS YEAR BUT THAT COULD CHANGE AT ANY POINT. OF THE 15 THOUSAND SAMPLES OF MOSQUITOES SUBMITTED FROM LOUISIANA PARISHES, 28 SHOWED POSITIVE FOR WEST NILE VIRUS OR ST. LOUIS ENCEPHALITIS, WHICH, MOPPERT SAYS, IS VERY LOW FOR THIS YEAR.
BOTH LOCATIONS OF GREENWOOD SHOES IN LAFAYETTE HAVE BEEN CLOSED JUST DAYS BEFORE THE OWNER HAS A PRETRIAL HEARING ON AN ARSON CHARGE. THE DOWNTOWN LOCATION WAS NEARLY EMPTY ON MONDAY, ACCORDING TO THE ADVOCATE NEWSPAPER, AND THE ARNOULD STREET LOCATION WAS CLOSED FRIDAY AT LUNCH, ACCORDING TO WITNESSES. THE OWNER DAVID LEBLANC IS FACING AN ARSON CHARGE FOR A FIRE IN THE STOCKROOM OF THE JEFFERSON STREET STORE ON FEBRUARY FOURTH OF LAST YEAR. INVESTIGATORS CLAIM THE FIRE WAS INTENTIONALLY STARTED AND THE MOTIVE IS BELIEVED TO BE INSURANCE FRAUD.
THE ST. LANDRY PARISH SCHOOL BOARD HAS APPROVED PLACING AN OFFICER INSIDE EACH SCHOOL IN OPELOUSAS. LAST NIGHT THE BOARD TENTATIVELY APPROVED USING A POST CERTIFIED OFFICER AS A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER AT EACH OPELOUSAS SCHOOL. POLICE CHIEF MARTIN MCCLENDON SAYS THE CITY COUNCIL STILL HAS TO APPROVE THE MEASURE.
A LAKE ARTHUR MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR HITTING HIS GIRLFRIEND AND DAMAGING HER CAR. ON SATURDAY, LAKE ARTHUR POLICE WERE CALLED TO A RESIDENCE ON CALCASIEU AVENUE ABOUT A DISTURBANCE AND WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY ARRESTED 18-YEAR-OLD BROCK SCHEXNIDER. THE VICTIM SAYS SCHEXNIDER HIT HER MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE ARMS AND FACE AND KICKED HER CAR. POLICE FOUND SCRATCHES AND DENTS THAT APPEARED TO BE FROM A SHOE.
LOUISIANA’S LONGEST SERVING FEMALE PRISONER MAY SOON BE RELEASED. 73-YEAR-OLD GLORIA WILLIAMS, ALSO KNOWN AS MAMA GLO, WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE FOR THE 1971 KILLING OF OPELOUSAS GROCER BUDGE CUTRERA SENIOR. SHE INITIALLY TRIED TO ESCAPE FROM PRISON THREE DIFFERENT TIMES BUT EVENTUALLY TURNED HER LIFE AROUND AND BECAME A MENTOR TO OTHER PRISONERS. THE LOUISIANA BOARD OF PARDONS YESTERDAY RECOMMENDED AMENDING HER LIFE SENTENCE AND MAKING HER ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE, WHICH NOW GOES TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR REVIEW AND, POSSIBLY, HIS SIGNATURE.
