On the afternoon of January 21, 2010 a team of nearly a dozen agents from the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office, Tri-Parish Task Force, Hammond City Police Narcotics Division, Town of Livingston Police Department and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) executed a search warrant at 28350 McArthur Drive in Satsuma.  They recovered nearly 5, 000 pills of mostly oxycodone and nearly 1 pound of marijuana.  The home owner was arrested and several of the proceeds of his drug business were seized by authorities.

They included:  $58,855.00 cash, a late model Ford Super Duty F250 P/U, two late model jet skis, and finally a speed boat with the name “Natural Prozac” painted on it’s sides.

Christopher Ray Robinson, a 39 year old white male who listed his address as 28350 McArthur Drive, Livingston, La., was charged as follows:

• 1 Count Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I CDS (1 lb of marijuana)
• 1 Count Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (1,011 dosage units of oxycontin)
• 1 Count Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule IV CDS (3,107 dosage units of oxycodone)

The street value of the illegal drugs was estimated to be over $168,000.00.

As of January 22, @ 9:00 am, he remains in the Livingston Parish Detention Center on a   $150,000.00 bond.

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies arrested two men for allegedly robbing a woman while trying to leave the parking garage at 9959 Perkins Road at approximately 9:45 p.m. this past Saturday.

According to reports, the woman was walking to her vehicle when she noticed a tan pickup truck following her. Once inside her vehicle two men allegedly knocked on the window with a handgun and demanded money. The victim allegedly pushed cash out of a crack in her window and then backed up and fled the area.

While taking the victim’s statement, several other witnesses pointed out the alleged robbers’ vehicle to deputies. Deputies arrested Roydriecus Harris, 18, of 5079 Jackson Avenue and DeMarcus Brown, 18, of 3231 Garnett Drive. Harris was charged with Armed Robbery and Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Brown was charged with Armed Robbery. Detectives seized the handgun allegedly used in the robbery, which was reported stolen in 2009.

According to EBRSO crime reports, there were no reported armed robberies at Perkins Rowe for 2009. This is the only reported armed robbery at the address for 2010.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office is reporting a steady decrease in homicides since 2007. Homicides for EBRSO decreased from 21 in 2007 to 18 in 2008, a 14% decrease. In 2009 EBRSO detectives worked only 11 homicides, an almost 39% decrease.

In 2008, seven of the 11 homicides occurred in the Gardere area, accounting for almost 40% of all EBRSO homicides for that year. In 2009 only one homicide occurred in the area, an 86% decrease from the previous year.

“I’m pleased we’ve seen such a decrease in homicides worked by the Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said. “Though, one is too many.”

Sheriff Gautreaux attributes the decreased homicide rate to targeted patrols, community outreaches, and aggressive investigations.

“I think our community outreaches are paying off,” he said. “We hope that we have built a bridge between residents and law enforcement that has made them feel comfortable calling us with information. Often times, if they will approach us when things are getting out of hand, we can do our best to prevent violence from escalating.”

He said there are always those crimes that law enforcement can do little to prevent, like the shooting December 23, 2009 at Grady Crawford Construction in which two women were gunned down by an ex-employee.

All death investigations are currently worked by the Sheriff’s Office homicide unit, created by Sheriff Gautreaux in 2008. Prior to April 2008 detectives from the General Detectives unit worked murders while also working other general investigative cases. Sheriff Gautreaux said he belives the unit allows detectives to specialize in homicides and has helped them solve more cases.

According to the Sheriff’s Uniform Crime Reporting statistics so far for 2009, overall violent crime is down. The Sheriff’s Office hopes to release all UCR numbers in the next few months.

“We are going to continue to be vigilant in our patrols, community outreach and investigations in order to do what we can to prevent crime from occurring and solve those that do occur,” Sheriff Gautreaux said.

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Casey Rayborn Hicks
Public Information Director
East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office

On January 7, 2010, Jennifer Stromberg (W/F, age 34), was arrested by the Louisiana State Police Detectives and booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on charges of Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile. The arrest was a result of further investigation and a computer analysis of Michael Chatellier’s computer that was seized by detectives on November 24, 2009. Detectives recovered images which contained Stromberg and Chatellier engaging in sexual acts while their two-year old child was present. Stromberg and Chatellier were married at the time the photos were taken.

Story for original arrest:

On November 24, 2009, Louisiana State Police Detectives arrested former Orleans Parish Sheriffs Office deputy Michael L. Chatellier (W/M, 38 yoa) for engaging in a sexually explicit manner with undercover agents over the internet. State Police Detectives received information about the indecent behavior of Chatellier with, what he believed was a 14-year-old female in an internet chat room. Detectives were able to identify Chatellier and found that Chatellier was recently released from prison where he served two years for possession of child pornography and computer aided solicitation of a juvenile.Detectives obtained an arrest warrant and a search warrant for Chatellier and his home, located at 3209 Bauvais St., Metairie, LA. During the search warrant, Detectives located 116 pornographic images involving juveniles. Chatellier was arrested and booked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on five counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, two counts of computer aided solicitation of a minor, three counts of sex offender registration violations and 116 counts of possession of pornography involving juveniles.
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Trooper Melissa Matey
Public Affairs Unit
Louisiana State Police – Troop B

On December 31, 2009 a Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Deputy arrested a Texas man for possession of more than two pounds of marijuana.  The Deputy saw the man acting suspiciously in the parking lot of a Holden area grocery store.  He searched the man’s 2002 Buick Park Avenue and found two popcorn cans containing nine ¼ pound vacuum sealed packets of marijuana.

Sidney Lee Martin, a 64 year old white male who listed his address as 2419 E. El Cibolo Road, Edinburg, Texas was charged as follows:

• 1 Count Possession with intent to Distribute Schedule I CDS

As of January 4, 2010 @ 8:00 am he remained in the Livingston Parish Detention center on a $50,000.00.

Sidney Lee Martin

Man Charged With Arson of Girlfriend’s Mobile Home

On December 28^th 2009, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Detectives working in conjunction with Agents from the State Fire Marshal’s Office arrested a man who set his estranged girlfriend’s mobile home on fire.  The fire was discovered during the late night hours on Christmas night at the address of 11132 Crossover Road which is north of Denham Springs.

Fireman from Fire Protection District # 4 responded to the blaze at the unoccupied structure.  Detectives determined that a dispute over child visitation was the motive behind the crime.  It was also discovered that the suspect took a vehicle, without permission, belonging to another family member to commit the crime.

John Ballard, an 18 year old white male who listed his address as 17075 Lisa Drive Livingston, La., was charged as follows:

• 1 Count of Simple Arson
• 1 Count of Unauthorized Use of a Moveable
• 1 Count of Possession of Schedule I CDS
• 1 Count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

A search of Ballard’s person, conducted during his arrested, revealed a small amount of marijuana, some rolling papers, and a grinder.

As of December 29, 2009 @ 10:00 am, Ballard remained in the Livingston Parish Detention Center on a $26,000.00 bond.

Man Charged With Arson Of Estranged Wife’s Home

On December 21, 2009, Livingston Parish SRT members arrested a man for trying to burn his estranged wife’s home.  The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, working in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Office, investigated the blaze that occurred on December 19, 2009 at the address of 32185 Patti Ann Drive north of Denham Springs.

Detectives believe an ongoing domestic dispute was the motive behind the fire.  An alarm at the residence alerted it’s occupants of the fire, which was quickly extinguished with a garden hose. No one was injured and there was minimal damage to the home.

Ricky Neal Boone, a 50 year old white male who listed his address 32163 Patti Ann Drive Denham Springs, La., was charged as follows:

• 1 Count of Aggravated Arson
• 1 Count of Unauthorized Entry of an Inhabited Dwelling
• 1 Count of Aggravated Assault
• 1 Count of Violation of a Protective Order
• 1 Count of Improper Telephone Communications

Authorities were looking for Boone on the arson charge on the days following the fire.  During that time warrants were also signed for harassing phone calls he made to wife as well as violation of a protective order.  On the evening of December 21^st Boone was located after threatening another family member with a gun.  He was then seen fleeing into a mobile home on Arnold Road.  LPSO SRT members were called to that mobile home where Boone Surrendered to Deputies after a brief standoff.

As of December 28, 2009 @ 11:00 am, Boone remained in the Livingston Parish Detention Center on a $600,000.00 bond.

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Deputy Perry Rushing
prushing@lpso.org

Some 65 Christmas presents for the needy stolen in the burglary of a Violet church were returned by the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, Dec. 23, after a 45-year-old Violet man – on parole for a previous burglary conviction – was booked with the Dec. 20 break-in, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Herman “Peter’’ Smiles, 2505 St. Matthew’s Circle, which is near the burglarized Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Violet, was arrested at his home about 3 a.m. after sheriff’s detectives, who had been concentrating on the case since the burglary, acted on a tip, and found all of the stolen presents in a bedroom of the home Smiles shared with relatives. Detectives had been concentrating on the case since the burglary.

Smiles was booked with burglary of a religious building and parole violation. He is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison and no bond has been set.

“It’s a good ending to a terrible incident,’’ Pohlmann said, saying it was “good police work’’ by sheriff’s detectives that broke the case. “I can’t say enough about our detectives, commanded by Chief of Detectives Col. John Doran. They ran down leads, with help from other departments of the Sheriff’s Office, until an arrest was made and virtually all stolen items were recovered.’’

Smiles, who served time in prison on an aggravated burglary conviction out of St. Bernard and has been on parole since 2006, confessed to the church burglary under questioning and said he did it in hopes of finding money to obtain illegal drugs, Pohlmann said,  adding he took the presents for possible sale on the streets.

“He broke in to look for money’’ after he had been smoking crack cocaine earlier that night, Pohlmann said, adding that investigators believed someone committing such a desperate act was likely a drug addict looking for a means to buy more drugs. “We’ve said before that if you could solve the drug problem you could solve the crime problem.’’

Smiles, who has had a number of arrests since the 1980s, described himself to sheriff’s detectives as having problems with both drugs and alcohol.

Smiles also said he acted alone, using a concrete stepping stone to break a window to enter the church about 2 a.m. and sat down for nearly an hour as he opened the presents that were under a statue of Jesus on a cross at the rear of the church, put them in garbage bags and made two trips to carry them to his home. Pohlmann said.

One present, directly under the cross, was left untouched by the burglar and some people had speculated afterward that maybe a last-minute feeling of guilt had overcome the culprit. But when asked why he had left it, Pohlmann said, Smiles replied he must not have seen it.

The suspect had a wound on his left hand, which matched up with the fact that blood was left on a floor and other areas in the church as the burglar entered through the broken window.

The presents, which were in five black garbage bags under Smiles’ bed, were returned to the church at 2621 Colonial Boulevard by the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies, like numerous others in the New Orleans area who were outraged by the theft of presents for the needy and responded by donating to the church to replace the gifts, also brought cash donations and bicycles to the church on Dec. 23.

Our Lady of Lourdes Pastor John Arnone, who had said for days that church officials appreciated the public’s response to the burglary, said he had believed the break-in would be solved. “I was thrilled’’ about the arrest, Arnone said. “I knew it would happen. It was because of the work of the deputies that it happened.’’

The priest also said, “I still pray for conversion of that person”
involved in the burglary. “It’s unfortunate when people go to these types of extremes because of addictions.’’ Our Lady of Lourdes Church, hard-hit by Hurricane Katrina like nearly every building in St. Bernard Parish, had only reopened in late November.

Detectives focused on another person of interest in the case who, when questioned early in the morning of Dec. 23 gave information that Smiles was the church burglary, Pohlmann said.

A consent to search was obtained at Smiles’ residence and detectives found all of the 65 missing presents – mostly clothing, shoes and toys – in his room.

He allegedly intended to sell some items and keep others. But selling the stolen items off so soon after the robbery would’ve been hard, Pohlmann said. Potential buyers would’ve been reluctant about becoming involved in such a high-profile case or possibly would’ve tipped police off that someone was in possession of items likely taken from Our Lady of Lourdes.

Members of Our Lady of Lourdes congregation had worked to identify needy children in their community then bought them Christmas presents, wrapped them and planned a giveaway.

After word spread of the crime, people from across the metropolitan area and as far as other states showered the church with new presents and cash donations. By Tuesday night, gifts were piled on the floor and the Boy Scouts in Metairie donated 15 bicycles. The Salvation Army also stuffed nylon crawfish bags with toys.

Our Lady of Lourdes, it turned out, amassed a mound of presents much larger than officials ever expected. The giveaway was to be held Wednesday night.

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Deputies adopted the Lee family for Christmas after noticing their need for assistance this year during regular patrols. Mother, Pauline, and her two children, Chelsea, 8, and Isiah, 2, were showered with gifts, food and furniture yesterday morning.

Deputies with the Scotlandville substation, along with donations from a few local vendors, provided the family with food, a sofa, a television, toys, clothes, a bed, a Christmas tree and bikes. Tuesday evening, deputies went to the Lee’s apartment on Hanks Drive and put up and decorated a Christmas tree. They had a bed for the children, a television and table delivered as well. Wednesday morning, a crew of deputies came to deliver a sofa, Christmas food, presents and clothes for the family.

Captain Fredrick Thomas, commander of the Scotlandville substation, said that he knows the names of most of the children and parents in the area after years of patroling. He said he and his deputies saw the great need that the Lee family had and wanted to do something to help.

Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said he is proud of his deputies.

“They have the true spirit of Christmas,” Sheriff Gautreaux said. “This is exactly how law enforcement should be. They don’t just patrol the community, they are invested in the community. They truly care about the people they are serving.”

In addition to adopting the Lee family, Scotlandville deputies gave out presents to other area children. Deputies also helped deliver toys as part of the Sheriff’s Office and Constable’s Office Christmas Crusade for Children.  The Crusade delivered toys to approximately 3,000 children in need this Christmas season.

UPDATED STORY
12/23/09 10:06pm

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Detectives have a suspected shooter in custody tonight following a deadly shooting at Grady Crawford Construction at 12290 Greenwell Springs Road this afternoon. The shooting left two dead and one injured.

According to reports, Matthews, a former employee of Grady Crawford Construction, showed up at the business today and began firing on employees. Matthews allegedly shot three employees, two of which were pronounced dead on the scene, and fired at a fourth employee and missed before being tackled by others on scene. The first victim was transported to a local hospital and is in stable condition.

Dianna Tullier, 44, of 33520 Percy Young Road, Walker, LA and Cheryl D. Boykin, 55, of 9911 Gene Buckner, Denham Springs, LA were both pronounced dead on the scene. They were both clerical workers in the construction office.

The call came into the Sheriff’s Office at approximately 1:50 p.m. The first Sheriff’s deputy made it on scene at 1:54 p.m. this afternoon. Upon the deputy’s arrival, the employees were still struggling with the alleged assailant.  Deputies took Matthews into custody and transported him to the Sheriff’s Office for questioning. Detectives are still on scene collecting evidence.

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Detectives a looking for an unknown suspect who allegedly stole pipe from Performance Contractors at 9901 Pecue Lane somewhere between November 9th through 25th.

The items stolen during the theft were approximately 703 linear feet (in sections that were 18-22 feet long) of various types stainless steel pipes.  The stolen pipes varied in diameter from 3” to 24” with a thickness of up to approximately 1”.  The stolen pipes are valued at approximately $1, 183,761.00.  Some of the sections of stolen pipes have “heat” numbers, similar to serial numbers that are imprinted on them.  The items pictured below are not photographs of the actual stolen items, they are references to see how the heat numbers are imprinted and what the stolen pipes look like.

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Casey Rayborn Hicks
EBR Sheriff Public Information Director

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Detectives are looking for a man that allegedly broke into the Blockbuster Video Store located at 8949 Greenwell Springs Rd. on November 25, 2009 at approximately 11:40 p.m.

Upon arrival, deputies found that the suspect used a piece of asphalt to shatter the front door window. Two Samsung Blu-ray Video Players and a portable DVD player were missing.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned black male, 30 to 35 years of age, wearing khaki pants, al ight-blue pullover shirt and a dark cap.

Anyone with information concerning this incident or the identity of the suspect is asked to contact the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office at 225-389-5000. Crime Stoppers is also offering a cash reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest of those responsible.  Contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at (225) 344- STOP or (225) 344-7867.‪

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office Detectives are looking fo r a man wanted for FELONY THEFT, ACCESS DEVICE FRAUD, FORGERY AND MONETARY INSTRUMENT ABUSE.

According to reports, James Davis Johnson, 29, last known to live on E. Glen Court in the Glen Oaks area, allegedly forged and altered a check that he received from the Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office as an inmate. Johnson received the check upon his release and allegedly altered the check, written in the amount of  $00.87, to appear to read $860.00. He then allegedly cashed the check at Silverleaf Grocery on August 13, 2009.

Anyone with information concerning this incident or the suspects whereabouts is asked to contact the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office at 225-389-5000. Crime Stoppers is also offering a cash reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest of those responsible.  Contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at (225) 344- STOP or (225) 344-7867.