Apr 30, 2010 - Charles Licciardi, Ward H Justice of the Peace in St. Bernard Parish, said he supports the idea of justices taking firearms safety training from the Sheriff’s Office because “you have two or more parties and one will be angry with our decision’’ when a justice rules in matters before their court.

“We have people coming to our homes at night’’ asking for arrest warrants against others, Licciardi said. There are civil cases as well as matters such as evictions. “We don’t have security like at the Courthouse’’ and it’s a good idea for justices to be able to use a weapon to defend themselves if need be, he said.

So far he hasn’t had to, said Licciardi, head of the local Justices of the Peace and Constables Association in St. Bernard Parish. “But if I have to I want to know what I’m doing.’’ There isn’t a state law that requires such training, he said, “but it makes sense.’’

To meet that need, Sheriff’s Office Director of Training Maj. David DiMaggio has held 8-hour education courses, followed by live-round training sessions at the sheriff’s pistol range for Justices of the Peace and Constables, who are elected office-holders in St. Bernard Parish.

Chief Deputy James Pohlmann said the Sheriff’s Office is glad to offer the program to provide training for the Justices of the Peace and Constables.

On April 26-28, Justices of the Peace Licciardi, Tony Micheu of Ward C, Michael McNab of Ward F, and Howard Luna of Ward G went through  the course and practiced firing at the pistol range in eastern St. Bernard.

DiMaggio said learning to use weapons “mainly is a protection matter’’ for most of the Justices of the Peace, while Constables are law enforcement officers and should have the training. The majority of the parish’s 11 J.P.s and 11 Constables have undergone firearms training, he said. “It’s eight hours of classroom instruction and they have to shoot on the range at least four times’’ in order to get a certificate from the Louisiana Commission of Law enforcement, DiMaggio said.

Micheu, a former New Orleans police officer and long-time Reserve Deputy in St. Bernard Parish, is POST-certified, meaning he has taken the Peace Officers Standards and Training course.

The weapons training offered by the Sheriff’s Office is “good training for anyone,’’ Micheu said.

McNab said, “It’s always a good idea to learn to use a gun’’ as a measure of self-protection.’’

Luna said of the training, “Anytime you can improve yourself at a skill you should.’’

Apr 30, 2010 - A 5-year-old Arabi boy required 32 stitches after he was bitten in the face by a neighbor’s pit bull in his family’s driveway Thursday night, April 29, and the dog’s owner was cited by parish government for the animal running free, St. Bernard Parish Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The boy, whose name wasn’t released by the Sheriff’s Office, was treated at Tulane Medical Center after the 6:30 p.m. incident in the 2200 block of Mehle Avenue in Arabi and has been released, Pohlmann said. The boy will face plastic surgery after receiving a deep laceration to his left cheek and three puncture wounds to the face.

The dog’s owner, Rosalie Aguilar, 47, who said the animal had never hurt anyone before, was cited by parish animal control officers for allowing the 7-monthold male pit bull to run free.

Initially, the owner told sheriff’s deputies and animal control officers she didn’t know the whereabouts of the dog after the incident, sheriff’s officials said. But on Friday, April 30, when told that without the dog to have quarantined the victim could face receiving shots to prevent rabies, the owner cooperated and authorities were told where the dog was being kept. The animal was picked up and has been quarantined at the parish animal shelter.

Beth Brewster, director of animal control, said the owner signed the dog over to the parish and because he would be deemed vicious and non-adoptable because of the unprovoked attack, the animal will be held 10 days and then euthanized.

Detectives with the sheriff’s Juvenile Division investigated the incident and said the pit bull attacked the 5-year-old boy when the boy went outside with his Godfather to play.

Aguilar’s children were playing on the slab of a razed house next to the victim’s house and the pit bull was running around, according to a Sheriff’s Office report. The victim walked onto his family’s driveway and the deg attacked the child, biting him on the face. The boy’s Godfather punched the dog to get him off the boy but he was badly bitten, the police report said.

See updated story

Douglas Emory Carlton, captured the night of April 27, is led into the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office by Sgt. Joey Alfonso. Photo by Steve Cannizaro of the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Apr 28, 2010 - A man facing trial for armed robbery in Tennessee was captured by St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies before midnight Tuesday, April 27, in a wooded area in the eastern part of the parish where he had hidden for some 27 hours after an incident with a park ranger at St. Bernard State Park, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

A police canine from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and his handler found a dehydrated Douglas Emory Carlton, 41 - who had fled an armed robbery trial due to be held in Tennessee on April 27 - hiding in woods off the 1700 block of Bayou Road in eastern St. Bernard, some 10 miles east of Paris Road.

Pohlmann said Carlton tried to fight the dog with a stick and was bitten on the legs by the animal, requiring emergency aid at the scene.

“We set up a perimeter to search for him,’’ and police didn’t believe he had gotten out of the area, Pohlmann said, adding he was glad there was a peaceful end to the manhunt.

“There is a level of concern by residents (of the area),’’ Pohlmann said during the search “but they have been very cooperative’’ with authorities who set up check points in the eastern part of the parish as they looked for Carlton.

He was booked in St. Bernard Parish with illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated flight from an officer, resisting arrest and on a warrant charging him with being a fugitive on an aggravated robbery charge in Tennessee

Carlton will have bond set by a magistrate judge and will face extradition by Tennessee authorities, who said they would come to get him if was found, Pohlmann said.
 
Carlton had crashed a Ford pickup truck on Bayou Road in a chase after fleeing St. Bernard State Park in the area on Monday night, April 26, when a park ranger became suspicious of him and was questioning him as Carlton tried to rent a camp site.

The fugitive ran into the woods off the road after his crash on Bayou Road and Carlton said after his arrest just before midnight April 27 that he had stayed there the entire time after he escaped into the tree cover, a period of some 27 hours. His clothing was dirty and he was dehydrated, saying in an interview with sheriff’s deputies that he hadn’t eaten or drank since running into the woods.

Carlton also said he saw sheriff’s deputies looking for him and could see two helicopters – one from the Plaquemines sheriff’s Office and one from the Jefferson Sheriff’s Office – that searched for him by air but he couldn’t be seen because of the dense wooded area.

He also that during his period of hiding he made and received cell phone calls and text messages to and from friends and his mother.

After he was taken into custody, Carlton, who served time in a Tennessee prison for burglary, theft and forgery and had been out since 2008, acknowledged he had a gun in his truck when he fled the State Park on St. Bernard Parkway, which is a road to the East Bank of Plaquemines Parish. Ammo and shotgun shells were found in his truck.

Carlton showed deputies from the Special Investigations Division where he had tossed a .22-caliber revolver along St. Bernard Parkway as he headed away from the State Park. The gun was recovered and taken into evidence.

He said in an interview with Col. Chad Clark that he admitted where the gun was because he didn’t want any children to find it later and possibly hurt themselves. Carlton also acknowledged he is a methamphetamine user.

Carlton was debriefed at SID offices on Paris Road in Chalmette and later booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison.

Carlton claimed he didn’t commit any crimes during his drive from Northwest Tennessee on Monday, April 26 and said he has never been to the New Orleans area, including St. Bernard Parish, but thought he could find work and ended up in St. Bernard because he saw on a map there was a State Park where he might rent a camp site – ironically what led him to be sought by local authorities.

Sheriff’s deputies in St. Bernard Parish set up check points and searched in a wooded area on 4-wheelers and by helicopters from two agencies but couldn’t find Carlton for more than a day.

 Sheriff’s officials  in Dresden, Tenn., near the Kentucky state line, said Carlton was due to be tried there on April 27 on an aggravated robbery charge stemming from robberies allegedly committed in April 2009.

Carlton also allegedly threatened to harm a policeman there following a court appearance prior to the case going to trial, according to Weakly County Chief Deputy Sheriff Mark Black.

The Sheriff’s Office there had looked for Carlton, who was out on bond, recently because his attorney couldn’t make contact with him, Black said. A judge there issued a bench warrant on April 27 after Carlton failed to appear in court for the armed robbery trial, Black said.

Tennessee officials were told the night of April 26 that Carlton had been involved in a chase in eastern St. Bernard when he tried to enter St. Bernard State Park but bolted in a truck when a park ranger thought he was suspicious and was questioning him.

Apr 27, 2010 - The Sheriff’s Office in St. Bernard Parish set up check points and searched in a wooded area on 4-wheelers and by helicopters from two agencies but couldn’t find a Tennessee man who fled an armed robbery charge there and was involved in an incident at St. Bernard State Park on Monday night, April 26,, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Douglas Emory Carlton, 41, who has served time in a Tennessee prison for burglary and theft and was due in court in a Tennessee county on Tuesday April 27, on a 2009 armed robbery charge, was the subject of the search.

Carlton was involved in a chase, crashed his truck, and ran into a wooded area off Bayou Road in the eastern part of the parish after a park ranger, who thought he seemed suspicious, tried to detain him the night of April 26 when he drove into the park wanting to rent a camp site, Pohlmann said. Carlton bolted in a Ford pickup which he crashed after a pursuit by sheriff’s deputies who were called about the incident at the park.

Pohlmann said Carlton is possibly armed, with rifle ammunition and shotgun shells found in the truck after crashing in an area where a portion of Bayou Road was closed years ago by the state.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office at 504-271-2501.

“We set up a perimeter to search for him,’’ but never found him, Pohlmann said. Checkpoints were to remain up through Tuesday night, he said.

“There is a level of concern by residents (of the area) but they have been very cooperative’’ with authorities, Pohlmann said.

Sheriff’s officials  in Dresden, Tenn., near the Kentucky state line, said Carlton and a woman were due to be tried there on April 27 on an aggravated robbery charge stemming from robberies they allegedly committed in April 2009.

Carlton also allegedly threatened to harm a policeman there following a court appearance prior to the case going to trial, according to Weakly County Chief Deputy Sheriff Mark Black.

The Sheriff’s Office there had looked for Carlton, who was out on bond, recently because his attorney couldn’t make contact with him, Black said. A judge there issued a bench warrant on Tuesday after Carlton failed to appear in court for the armed robbery trial, Black said.

It’s still a mystery how Carlton ended up in St. Bernard Parish.

Tennessee authorities said they have no information that Carlton has any relatives or other contacts in Louisiana.

Tennessee officials were told the night of April 26 that Carlton had been involved in a chase in eastern St. Bernard when he tried to enter St. Bernard State Park - on St. Bernard Parkway which leads into the East Bank of Plaquemines Parish – but a park ranger thought he was suspicious and was questioning him when Carlton drove off.

A helicopter from the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office was used to search for Carlton on the night of April 26, Pohlmann said.

See original story and photo of Douglas Emory Carlton below.

Douglas Emory Carlton, 41

Apr 27, 2010 - ALERT • ALERT • ALERT: The Sheriff’s Office in St. Bernard Parish is looking for a Tennessee man who fled on an armed robbery charge there and was involved in an incident at St. Bernard State Park on Monday night, April 26, after which he was involved in a chase, crashed his truck, and ran into a wooded area in the eastern part of the parish, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Douglas Emory Carlton, 41, who has served time in a Tennessee prison for burglary and theft and was due in court in a Tennessee county on Tuesday April 27, on a 2009 armed robbery charge, hasn’t been spotted since he fled into woods off Bayou Road on Monday night,

Pohlmann said Carlton is possibly armed, with rifle ammunition and shotgun shells found in the Ford pickup truck he crashed at an area where a portion of Bayou Road was closed years ago by the state.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office at 504-271-2501.

Authorities in Dresden, Tenn., near the Kentucky state line, said Carlton and a woman were due to be tried there on Tuesday on an aggravated robbery charge stemming from several robberies they allegedly committed in April 2009.

Carlton also allegedly threatened to harm a policeman there following a court appearance prior to the case going to trial, according to Weakly County Chief Deputy Sheriff Mark Black.

The Sheriff’s Office there had looked for Carlton, who was out on bond, recently because his attorney couldn’t make contact with him, Black said. A judge there issued a bench warrant on Tuesday after Carlton failed to appear in court for the armed robbery trial, Black said.

The Tennessee authorities learned Monday night that Carlton had been involved in a chase in eastern St. Bernard when he tried to enter St. Bernard State Park - on St. Bernard Parkway which leads into the East Bank of Plaquemines Parish – but a park ranger thought he was suspicious and was questioning him when Carlton drove off.

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office was called and a chase ensued in which Carlton committed several traffic offenses as he tried to get away before crashing his truck near the 3400 block of Bayou Road in eastern St. Bernard and fleeing into woods, Pohlmann said.

A helicopter from the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office was used to search for him on Monday night and St. Bernard sheriff’s deputies are conducting checkpoints and are going into the woods to search for Carlton, Pohlmann said.

See photos of search and updated article

Apr 22, 2010 - Hundreds of 5th-7th-graders at N.P. Trist School in Meraux heard health-care providers discuss topics including hygiene and anti-smoking, had their blood pressure screened, their height-weight measured and heard St. Bernard sheriff’s deputies go over safe ways of dealing with bullies at a health fair on Thursday, April 22.

It was the first such event at the school since it reopened two years ago after Hurricane Katrina.

“We think it was very successful,’’ said Denise Pritchard, principal of the 800-student school, where the gym was used for a day-long program involving dentist Dr. Mark Wightman of Chalmette, registered nurses, nursing students from Nunez Community College and sheriff’s officials.

“We have been working hard on changing students’ attitudes about eating healthy and physical fitness,’’ Pritchard said.

The health fair, supported by various doctors, “fits into our philosophy,’’ Pritchard said.

Lt. Lisa Jackson, supervisor of the sheriff’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education program taught in the school system, and D.A.R.E. officer Deputy Sheriff Darrin Miller went over with students examples of bullying and how to safely report it to authorities, including anonymous notes to teachers, if necessary.

Jackson said bullying can start as early as elementary school and is a problem that must be dealt with early before it escalates into violence or, in an extreme example, a recent case in another state in which a girl committed suicide after repeated acts of cruelty by other students.

“We encourage people to leave notes in the D.A.R.E. boxes at schools’’ and her staff will direct it to school officials or children can quietly speak to or write notes to teachers about bullying problems,’’ Jackson said. Kids that have been bullied should seek strength in numbers when they out, Miller said.

The event saw blood pressure screenings for students, with follow-ups to be done if there are indications of possible problems, heath-weight measurements, lectures and films on hygiene and events geared to anti-smoking, including volleyball games in which students who ended up with the ball reading aloud anti-smoking messages taped to the ball.

Apr 20, 2010 - A 63-year-old man has been arrested in Houston on a warrant alleging he sexually abused a juvenile girl in St. Bernard Parish starting in 1986 when she was 4-years-old until she was 12, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Richard Gerdes was arrested Tuesday, April 20, on a warrant issued by a judge in February charging aggravated rape of a minor, which is based on the age of the girl at the time, Pohlmann said. There weren’t any details available about the circumstances of the arrest or where Gerdes, who formerly lived in St. Bernard Parish, now resides.

The St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office will bring Gerdes back for prosecution when extradition proceedings are complete.

The female, now an adult, came forward in February, saying she was molested by Gerdes from ages 4-12, starting in 1986. Detectives from the sheriff’s Juvenile Division, commanded by Maj. Darlene Poche,  investigated the allegation and obtained the warrant for the arrest of Gerdes, Pohlmann said.

The statute of limitations on prosecution of sex abuse cases involving juveniles now allows victims to report a crime up to 30 years from their 18th birthday, officials of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Juvenile Division said.

The offices of the Louisiana and Texas attorneys general announced the arrest.

Apr 20, 2010 UPDATE • UPDATE • UPDATE  - Three people have been booked and an arrest warrant for a fourth issued in a ring in which as much as $20,000 in jewelry stolen in burglaries was pawned in Chalmette, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

A registered nurse, Norman Beneltey, 58, who lives in Arabi and was allowing heroin addicts to live periodically at his home, and a woman, Cheryl Vicknair, 29, who sometimes lived at Bentley’s house were both booked April 13 with possession of stolen property, Pohlmann said.

On Monday, April 19, another man who lived at the nurse’s house was booked on the same count and an arrest warrant signed by a judge was issued for a third man wanted in the burglary in which the jewelry was stolen, Pohlmann said.

David Miller, 29, who until recently had lived at the home of Bentley, at 524 Esteban St., Arabi, was arrested on April 19 on the charge of possession of stolen property. Miller, arrested at his mother’s home in Arabi, is jailed in lieu of $15,000 bond; Bentley is free on bond and Vicknair is jailed in lieu of $19,000 bond. Vicknair was described as the girlfriend of Miller.

The burglary warrant was issued for Curtis Jones, 26, of New Orleans, no address available, who hasn’t been found, Pohlmann said. Jones burglarized a home near Bentley’s in which an estimated $20,000 or more of jewelry was stolen, Pohlmann said.

Vicknair, a heroin addict, authorities said, was booked with the possession of stolen property charge while she was already in St. Bernard Parish Prison, where she has been held since a recent separate arrest involving possession of prescription medicine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

At least one other man whose name hasn’t been released, is also under investigation in the case, Pohlmann said.

Bentley’s name appears on seven pawn shop receipts involving pawned stolen items, Pohlmann said. Bentley also went to the pawn shop and paid to get out a stolen item pawned by one of the others involved, with Bentley later re-pawning it in his name, and on several  occasions he paid down the amounts owed on items pawned by others that were later determined to be stolen in a burglary, Pohlmann said.

He said several stolen items were also found in Bentley’s home.

Vicknair also pawned stolen items, authorities said.

Descriptions of the items from the pawn shop matched jewelry stolen in a burglary near Bentley’s home, Pohlmann said. Most of the actual jewelry pawned, for which the shop had paid about $2,000, couldn’t be recovered because shop officials had melted it down for gold after the expiration of a 60-day waiting period in which such businesses are required by law to keep pawned items.

Pohlmann said sheriff’s detectives, commanded by Chief of Detectives Col. John Doran, are also still working with the pawn shop to identify other stolen items pawned there.

See original news report

Cheryl Vicknair, 29, and Norman Bentley, 58, both of Arabi. Both booked with possession of stolen property. Vicknair lived at the home of Bentley, who was pawning stolen items for heroin addicts who lived with him periodically and commiting burglaries to support their habit, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office says.

Apr 16, 2010 - An Arabi nurse who pawned jewelry and other stolen items for burglars has been booked with possession of stolen property in a case that likely involves more than $20,000, St. Bernard Parish Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said Friday, April 16.

Norman Bentley, 58, 524 Esteban St., who is a registered nurse working at Touro hospital in New Orleans, was allowing heroin addicts to live periodically at his home and he pawned numerous stolen items for them that had been taken in break-ins, Pohlmann said. He said the money from the pawn shop supported their drug habits.

Bently and a woman who has lived at his home were both booked Tuesday, April 13, with possession of stolen property, Pohlmann said, after routine checks at a Chalmette pawn shop revealed Bentley and the woman pawned a number of stolen items over a period of several months from December of last year to March. More than 20 pawn shop receipts were found involving stolen items, the majority of them in Bentley’s name.

Bentley was released from jail Friday on bond, but the amount wasn’t available.

Pohlmann said the woman involved is Cheryl Vicknair, 29, a heroin addict who was booked with the stolen charge while she was already in St. Bernard Parish Prison, where she has been held since a recent separate arrest involving possession of prescription medicine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Vicknair is being held in lieu of $19,000 bond.

Descriptions of the items from the pawn shop matched jewelry stolen in a burglary near Bentley’s home and stolen jewelry was also recovered at his home, Pohlmann said. Most of the actual jewelry pawned, for which the shop had paid about $2,000, couldn’t be recovered because shop officials had melted it down for gold after the expiration of a 60-day waiting period in which such businesses are required by law to keep pawned items.

The Sheriff’s Office is identifying others who were involved in the burglaries and gave stolen items to Bentley or Vicknair to pawn, Pohlmann said.

He said authorities are also still working with the pawn shop to identify other stolen items pawned there.
 

Apr 15, 2010 - St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack A. Stephens and Parish President Craig Taffaro gathered with a host of federal, state and local officials on Thursday, April 15, to mark the ground-breaking and the driving of pilings for the new $5.5 million Sheriff’s Office Annex, set for completion in late December and touted as a major step in the growth and recovery of St. Bernard.

President Taffaro and Sheriff Stephens got into the pile-driving machine and pounded some of the initial pilings into the ground to celebrate this important project. Its price tag of $5.5 million – funded mostly by FEMA and a small of amount of insurance proceeds – includes the construction, design work and demolition of the initial structure.

“It’s great to get to this day in our recovery,” President Taffaro said. “A permanent site to house all of the Sheriff’s Office administrative functions is a key signal to our residents that our growth is continuing.” Parish government is responsible for the demolition and construction of the new building, which will be located behind the St. Bernard Courthouse in Chalmette.

Both Taffaro and Stephens thanked the design team and the project managers, Rick Stierwald from the parish, and Deputy Chief Harold Hughes, Sheriff’s Office liaison to FEMA and parish government for recovery projects; as well as thanking Mike Karl, FEMA’s Acting Deputy Director for Programs from the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office for FEMA’s support, and state officials.

Stephens said, “As I ride through the parish, I see all the signs of progress and I’m encouraged and optimistic about the future of the parish.’’ He added, “There is construction everywhere and I want to thank Craig (President Taffaro) and the council for their hard work in helping us.”

FEMA’s Mike Karl praised the local officials for the progress they are making. “I see this (the re-building of the Sheriff’s Annex) as another milestone in the recovery of the parish,’’ Karl said.

The project included the initial demolition of the original two-story annex last spring that is now being rebuilt to house the administrative offices of the Sheriff. The annex that will have 11,000 square feet will have two stories of office space elevated 8 feet off of the ground.

The Katrina-damaged building, completed around 1963, housed Police Jury officials until the late 1970s when the Sheriff’s Office functions moved into the two-story office complex connected to the St. Bernard Courthouse.

Currently, the Sheriff’s administrative offices operate out of 8301 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette in the Sidney Torres Plaza/Regions Bank Building.

Sheriff Stephens said the new administrative building will be more convenient for public and law enforcement because it will bring all the elements of the parish criminal justice system closer together.

The sheriff also said the Sheriff’s Office is negotiating with FEMA in hopes of being able to demolish the old jail building next to the annex and rebuild it as another site to house prisoners, in addition to Parish Prison on Paris Road at St. Bernard Highway.

Devier Construction LLC is the contractor for the Annex. The project has been designed by Kyle Associates LLC Fauntleroy and Latham Architects, APC. Clyde Burnett is the project manager for CDM and Dennis Tauzin has oversight over all FEMA-funded recovery projects for St. Bernard, and Rick Stierwald of the St. Bernard Parish Department of Public Works is the project manager and resident inspector. Deputy Chief Harold Hughes is the Sheriff’s Liaison for FEMA recovery projects. This project is being overseen and managed by St. Bernard Parish Recovery Director Michael Dorris, Jr. and his staff.

Apr 14, 2010 - A shoplifting incident involving two men at a Chalmette store Wednesday morning, April 14, turned into a pursuit throughout Arabi and into New Orleans before ending with the driver crashing into a vehicle in the Lower 9th Ward, and being caught under an abandoned house, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Lucien Jacob, 43, who had a LaPlace address, led St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputies on a pursuit on side streets in Arabi and nearly struck a sheriff’s deputy at the parish line on St. Claude Avenue before Jacob ultimately made it into New Orleans after the 11:15 a.m. shoplifting incident at the Home Depot store in Chalmette.

Jacob, who struck one vehicle at Patricia and Aycock streets in Arabi and crashed into a second vehicle at Claiborne Avenue at Tupelo Street in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, then fled on foot but was spotted under an abandoned house on Tupelo Street by Maj. Ronnie Martin of the Sheriff’s Office.

Jacob surrendered and was booked first in New Orleans on hit-and-run driving charges and other traffic offenses. Pohlmann said he will be booked in St. Bernard Parish with shoplifting, hit-and-run, resisting officers by flight and reckless operation.

Jacob’s vehicle abandoned after the crash in New Orleans, had numerous bullet holes, allegedly from a previous incident in the LaPlace area, authorities said.

A second man, Douglas Lee, 66, also allegedly involved in the incident at Home Depot, never made it into Jacob’s vehicle and was arrested by sheriff’s deputies near the store. He was booked with shoplifting and he was being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison. No bond had been set on April 14.

Apr 13, 2010 - Two New Orleans men stopped for traffic offenses in Chalmette were found with 25 pieces of crack cocaine worth $500, Chief deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

George Le, 17, 3641 River Oaks Drive, the driver, and Alton Ramsdell, 28, 3232 Frey Place, were arrested on Paris Road early on the morning of Thursday, April 8 when sheriff’s deputies Jason Saltalmachia and Matt Arcement, who were on patrol about 1 a.m., caught them speeding and crossing the center line, Pohlmann said.

A plastic bag containing 25 pieces of individually wrapped pieces of crack cocaine was found in the vehicle.

Both were booked with possession of the cocaine with intent to distribute and Le was also booked with the traffic offenses. Le has been released from jail on bond, but the amount wasn’t available. Ramsdell is being held in lieu of $3,000 bond.

In an unrelated arrest, a Florida man who violated his probation there on a cocaine conviction, was found living in Chalmette and had a fake international drivers’ license with a Chalmette address.

Julio Alcantar-Reyes, 31, was arrested Monday, April 12, at an apartment at 312 E. Liberaux St. in Chalmette after information was received he was living in St. Bernard Parish. There wasn’t any information on how long he has been in the parish.

He was wanted as a fugitive from St. Lucie, Florida, where he was a probation violator for fleeing after a 2007 cocaine conviction. An agent of the sheriff’s Special Investigations Division arrested him.

Alcantar-Reyes was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison as a fugitive but also was booked with possession of a small amount of marijuana found where he was living and with resisting arrest by presenting fake identification, the international drivers’ license that was listed in a different name. Officers eventually identified him.

He was being held in jail until extradition to Florida.

Apr 12, 2010 - A Metairie man riding a motorcycle in Chalmette on Sunday night, April 11, died of head injuries when he struck the curb of the median on West St. Bernard Highway near Old Hickory Drive and the vehicle flipped, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Michael Garletied, 46, 707 Athania Parkway, who was eastbound on St. Bernard Highway when he lost control and hit the curb about 10:30 p.m., died en route to University Hospital in New Orleans, Pohlmann said. He was pronounced dead on arrival.

The victim was wearing a helmet, but not an approved safety helmet, according to Lt. Mike Ingargiola, assistant commander of the sheriff’s Traffic Division. No other vehicles were involved, he said.

Toxicology tests are pending, officials said.

Apr 8, 2010 - Three men and a woman from St. Bernard Parish were booked with possession of $200 worth of heroin found in a vehicle after a traffic stop, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The four were arrested the night of Thursday,  April 1, after the discovery of six aluminum foils containing 1.5 grams of heroin that were found on the floorboard of a vehicle they were in, Pohlmann said. The heroin was valued at $200.

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Encardes was on patrol when he spotted a driver and passenger not wearing seat belts. Arrested were: driver David Will, 34, 1824 Robert Drive, St. Bernard community; and passengers Ronnie Payne, 55, 5700 4th St., Violet; Merlin Campo, 43, 6301 Delacroix Highway, St. Bernard; and Amanda Chanson, 30, 7621 River Park, Violet.

Will and Campo have been released on bonds of $10,000 each and the others remained jailed in lieu of $10,000 bonds.

Kristopher Howse, 24	Shelly Howse, 25

Apr 8, 2010 - A St. Bernard Parish married couple have both been sentenced to prison in the death of a man who died in their home from a heroin overdose in October 2009 after they failed to call for medical help for several hours.

Kristopher Howse, 24, was sentenced to four years in prison on Tuesday, April 6, and his wife, Shelly Howse, 25, will serve two years.  Both pleaded guilty to negligent homicide.

They were booked Oct. 21, 2009, with negligent homicide and obstruction of justice in the death of Chase Julian, 24, of Arabi.

State District Judge Kirk Vaughn sentenced the couple, who have been jailed in Chalmette in lieu of bond since their arrests and will receive credit for time served.

Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said, “This was a case in which people who were afraid they were going to be arrested if they called for medical help when someone was overdosing allowed the person to die rather than get the help that could have saved him. When all is said and done the person dies and those who didn’t call for help end up being booked with negligent homicide. Clearly, people should get medical help for someone’’ in such a situation.

The arrest of the Howses was the second time in 2009 that a St. Bernard Parish resident was booked with negligent homicide for allowing someone to die rather than calling for help in a drug overdose situation. In the other case, the arrested man received the maximum five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty as charged.

Julian, the victim in the Howse case, had been arrested once on heroin charges in St. Bernard. Kristopher Howse had one previous drug arrest involving Ecstasy and his wife didn’t have a prior criminal history.

The husband called the 911 emergency number about 1 a.m. on Oct. 21, 2009, to report Julian had overdosed on heroin, which the victim injected at Howse’s home. Julian allegedly took the heroin much earlier in the evening, possibly about 7 p.m., and had immediately fallen unconscious, authorities said. Kristopher Howse said he had snorted some heroin but didn’t inject any.

Howse, under questioning, said that after Julian became unconscious he contacted a friend who advised putting the victim in a cold bath to try to revive him, which didn’t work. Howse said he also tried to perform CPR and at some point put Julian in a vehicle to look for a possible emergency room and called 911 on the way.

Kristopher Howse acknowledged to authorities he took Julian to New Orleans to purchase heroin that day. Both Howse and his wife were booked on the negligent homicide charges because they both were in the home and didn’t call for help for hours.
 
The sheriff’s Special Investigations Division, which includes the  Narcotics Unit, and sheriff’s detectives investigated the Julian death.

Paul Metzler, 50, who lives on Trio Street in Chalmette, is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $40,000.

Further investigation led to Bradley Anderson, 36, of St. Bernard Parish, who was arrested Thursday, April 8, as the burglar who sold the stolen property to Metzler, the sheriff said.

Anderson, 1921 Todd Drive, St. Bernard community, was booked with one count of residence burglary at a house under renovation on Heights Drive in eastern St. Bernard, near where he lives. Anderson is being held without bond pending an appearance before a judge.

Other burglary arrests are possible as a result of the investigation, the sheriff said.

Metzler was initially booked with possession with intent to distribute more than 50 tablets each of the drugs Xanax and Soma after a traffic stop of his vehicle on Lloyds Drive in mid-afternoon by agents of the Special Investigations Division, commanded by Col. Chad Clark.

An investigation revealed Metzler had an un-renovated house in the 400 block of Mink Drive in Arabi that might contain stolen property, authorities said.

Sheriff’s detectives, commanded by Col. John Doran, obtained a search warrant signed by a judge for the house on Mink, where some $20,000 in stolen property was found, including $16,000 in cabinets and countertops that were virtually new. It was learned those had been taken in a recent burglary of the house on Heights Drive.

Also found was a 2.5-ton air-conditioner, a generator and other items.

Metzler acknowledged buying the stolen property and said he intended to use it to refurnish the house on Mink, Sheriff Stephens said.

Raymond Dauterive Jr. of the Heart of Chalmette Neighborhood Association puts up a Neighborhood Watch sign in his area. With him are, from left, Capt. Billy Cure and Capt. Charles Borchers, both of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Crime Prevention Unit. Borchers is also head of the Sheriff’s Neighborhood Watch program. STEVE CANNIZARO PHOTO.

Apr 2, 2010 - Raymond Dauterive Jr. of the one-year-old Heart of Chalmette Neighborhood Association recently put up some Neighborhood Watch signs in his area, which extends from Jackson Boulevard to Paris Road and Judge Perez Drive to Patrcia streets, and he has some advice for others: Start a Neighborhood Watch group before you see things you don’t like.

“Don’t wait until you are having any crime problems in your neighborhood,’’ said Dauterive, who has lived on Park Boulevard for many years and operates an Arabi business, Metal Menders. “Form a Neighborhood Watch group to try to prevent problems from happening.’’

“I’m rebuilding my house and I want to see that the neighborhood stays right,’’ said Dauterive. “It’s the perfect time to form a group when there’s little or no crime.’’

He said the Heart of Chalmette Neighborhood Association now has 28 members in its Neighborhood Watch group and is looking to recruit more.

“We want everyone to get to know their neighbors and look out for each other,’’ Dauterive said. “Get active in your neighborhood. Talk to people and find out any problems in the area.” He also said forming a Neighborhood Watch group helps people “notice who belongs there so you can recognize when you see someone who isn’t usually around.’’

Dauterive can be reached at (504) 812-5757 for information on the Heart of Chalmette Neighborhood Association.

Capt. Charles Borchers, Director of Crime Prevention and head of the Neighborhood Watch program for the Sheriff’s Office, said studies have shown well-organized Neighborhood Watch groups, especially those that display signs of their group in their area, have a lower crime rate than other areas.

“It makes sense that criminal elements seeing signs of participation in Neighborhood Watch will go somewhere else,’’ Borchers said.

Call Borchers at (504) 278-7628 to form a Neighborhood Watch group in St. Bernard Parish and the Sheriff’s Office will work with groups to give tips on crime prevention.

Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann stressed that Neighborhood Watch is important because its members provide extra eyes on the street to spot suspicious activities in their area. “Never hesitate to call the Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 if you see something that doesn’t look right,’’ Pohlmann said, because timely reporting can prevent a crime or catch a criminal in the act.

Also, businesses officials who are new to St. Bernard Parish or have expanded or moved locations, should call Borchers to register with the free sheriff’s Business Watch program so the Sheriff’s Office knows who to contact if there is an after-hours emergency at business.

“If you have any type commercial storefront we want you to participate,’’ Pohlmann said. Capt. Billy Cure of the Sheriff’s Office will come out and get contact information and place a decal on a business, giving it an I.D. number that is cross-referenced to an information sheet kept on file with the sheriff’s Communication Division, Pohlmann said.

Apr 2, 2010 - Two Chalmette teen-age boys, 16 and 15, were arrested by sheriff’s detectives Thursday night, April 1, in connection with a store burglary early that morning in which they could be seen inside the store on a surveillance videotape, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Both boys, whose names weren’t released because they are minors,
were booked with burglary and were taken to the parish Juvenile Detention Center to be held until they are brought before a magistrate judge to have bond set.

The face of one of the boys was clearly seen on the video taken inside the Meraux Food Store on Paris Road near St. Bernard Highway in Chalmette and he was later identified, Pohlmann said. The teens, who live near the store and were seen riding away on bicycles on a videotape from a separate business, fled when a store alarm sounded.

Both the food store and a sandwich shop inside the store were  burglarized about 1 a.m. April 1, authorities said. Minor items were stolen.

The boys are also considered suspects in recent vehicle burglaries in the area, Pohlmann said.

In an unrelated arrest on March 31, a shotgun and handgun were confiscated when a convicted felon and another man were arrested with a small amount of marijuana after a traffic stop in Chalmette when the driver was swerving from lane to lane, Pohlmann said.

Cpl. Brandon Licciardi spotted the vehicle being driven erratically in Chalmette during the day and pulled over the driver, Sean Cleggett, 20, 2428 Highland Drive, Violet. The passenger was Parnell Payne, 20, of Alexandria.

After the marijuana was spotted, a fully loaded revolver handgun was found under the driver’s seat and a loaded .12-gauge shotgun and 19 shotgun rounds were located in the trunk, Pohlmann said.

A check revealed Payne pleaded guilty to a weapon and drug charge in Alexandria in 2007.

Payne was booked with being a felon in illegal possession of a firearm and he and Cleggett were both booked with possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm in connection with a controlled dangerous substance. Cleggett was also booked with improper control of a vehicle.

No bond information was available on the men.

Apr 1, 2010 - The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s help to identify two young males shown on a surveillance camera as they burglarized the Meraux Food Store on Paris Road near St. Bernard Highway in Chalmette and also a sandwich shop located inside the store about 1 a.m. on Thursday, April 1, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said. One photo shows one boy’s face and the other wearing a hooded jacket and a second photo shows the back of a distinctive shirt. A camera at a different business showed them riding away on bicycles after the burglary, in which a couple of items were taken just before they fled when an alarm sounded. Anyone with information should call the Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.

See update to this story