7-3-25
ONE PERSON HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO A DRIVE BY SHOOTING ON LOUISIANA AVENUE IN LAFAYETTE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. INVESTIGATORS SAYS TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD WENDELL HENRY OF LAFAYETTE ALLEGEDLY FIRED SHOTS FROM HIS VEHICLE AT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE OTHER VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD PASSENGER RECEIVED A MINOR HEAD INJURY. HENRY IS BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND ON A CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.
SAINT MARTIN PARISH OFFICIALS HAVE PARTNERED TOGETHER TO CREATE THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE TEAM FOR ADDICTION RECOVERY, OR STAR, PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE AND POSSIBLY THE NATION, HELPS PEOPLE DEALING WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE, WITH THE AIM OF REDUCING CRIME AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN JAIL. SHERIFF BECKET BREAUX SAYS THEY’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR EIGHT MONTHS AND THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN ASTONISHING. THE INTIATIVE IS BACKED BY FUNDS FROM AN OPIOID LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT.
A LAKE CHARLES MAN, THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN KILLED IN A HIT-AND-RUN ON SUNDAY, WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN SHOT TO DEATH. THE BODY OF TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD KALIN STEVENS WAS FOUND IN THE SIXTY-SEVEN HUNDRED BLOCK OF HIGHWAY NINETY IN LAKE CHARLES AFTER A NINE-ONE-ONE HANG-UP CALL. SHERIFF STITCH GUILLORY SAYS THEY INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A TRAFFIC FATALITY, BUT, AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THEY FOUND SEVERAL GUNSHOT WOUNDS. SECOND-DEGREE MURDER WARRANTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLDS LARRY BIGELOW AND TITUS TEZENO, BOTH OF LAKE CHARLES.
A MEASURE IN PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH CONGRESS WOULD INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY LOUISIANA RECEIVES FROM OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION. IT WOULD POTENTIALLY BOOST FEDERAL FUNDS DEDICATED TO COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION PLANS. THE CHANGE COULD MEAN UP TO AROUND FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR EXTRA FOR OVER A DECADE. STATE OFFICIALS HOPE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT EVEN FURTHER BY ELIMINATING A CAP ON THE FUNDS DISTRIBUTED TO GULF STATES.
THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT HAS RELEASED AN UPDATED EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN. IT’S CONSIDERED A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN INCREASING PUBLIC SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. MAYOR-PRESIDENT MONIQUE BOULET SAYS IT’S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO PREPARE AS STORMS AND EMERGENCIES BECOME MORE FREQUENT. THE PLAN IS AVAILABLE TO SEE ONLINE AT LAFAYETTE-L-A-DOT-GOV.
STATE POLICE HAVE MADE AN ARREST IN A HIT-AND-RUN CASE FROM JUNE TWENTY-FIFTH IN MAMOU. FIFTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD ERROL DEVILLE OF EUNICE, WHO WAS RIDING A MOTORIZED BICYCLE, WAS KILLED WHEN STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A PASSING VEHICLE THAT DID NOT STOP. THIRTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD KAYLA NICOLE ARDOIN OF MAMOU WAS ARRESTED TUESDAY ON A CHARGE OF HIT-AND-RUN DRIVING CAUSING DEATH OR BODILY INJURY. SHE WAS RELEASED FROM THE EVANGELINE PARISH JAIL ON A TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR BOND.
A LAFAYETTE MAN, WHO ALLEGEDLY WAS DRIVING A STOLEN CAR FROM HOUSTON, LED CHURCH POINT POLICE ON A CHASE WITH AN UNRESTRAINED TWO-YEAR-OLD IN THE FRONT SEAT. AN OFFICER TRIED TO PULL OVER A CAR FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION BUT THE DRIVER REFUSED TO STOP. THE CHASE ENDED WHEN THE DRIVER TURNED INTO A FIELD AND HIT A DRAINAGE DITCH. BESIDES THE CHILD, OFFICERS ALLEGEDLY FOUND OVER THREE OUNCES OF MARIJUANA. TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD TYRIK DUPLECHAIN OF LAFAYETTE WAS ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE CHARGES.
AN EVANGELINE PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTY, WHO WAS ARRESTED IN FEBRUARY FOR INDECENT BEHAVIOR, NOW FACES ADDITIONAL CHARGES. THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD JOSHUA UHLMAN OF PINE PRAIRIE FACES TWO COUNTS OF PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ONE COUNT OF RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. HE’S ACCUSED IN THE INDICTMENT OF TRYING TO GET TWO MINORS TO ENGAGE IN EXPLICIT CONDUCT FOR CREATING VISUAL DEPICTIONS BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND FEBRUARY SECOND. HE’S ALSO ALLEGED TO HAVE KNOWINGLY RECEIVED CHILD PORNOGRAPHY DURING THAT SAME PERIOD.
