Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office

Two Women Arrested for Their Roles in Theft from an Elderly Man

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced two women have been arrested for their roles in the theft from an elderly man. Renelle Batiste, 34, of Donaldsonville, and Jessica Thomas, 41, of Thibodaux, were booked on charges on June 1, 2026.

Last week, an elderly man reported his wallet having been stolen and several unauthorized purchases were made on his credit card. The man noticed his wallet was missing after visiting a casino in Thibodaux where he had an interaction with a woman, later identified as Batiste. Surveillance video at the casino showed the interaction as Batiste assisted the man while appearing to reach for his rear pocket. She left the casino moments later. The victim reported he had 13 unauthorized charges totaling over a thousand dollars in a 24-hour span that followed.

Through investigation and with assistance from the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office, detectives identified Batiste as the suspect in the theft. They also found evidence that Batiste and Thomas had both allegedly participated in the unauthorized charges.

Batiste and Thomas were arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. Each was charged with 13 counts of access device fraud. Thomas’ bail amount is set at $20,000. Batiste was additionally charged with purse snatching, and her bail amount is set at $40,000.

Galliano Man Charged with Attempted Murder in Stabbing Incident

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of a Galliano man for attempted murder following a stabbing incident Sunday night. Chad Lachney, 39, was arrested shortly after the incident.

Shortly after 10:45 p.m. on May 31, 2026, deputies responded to a report of a man being stabbed in the 100 block of West 190th Street in Galliano. When deputies arrived, they found the victim, a man in his 40s, had injuries to his torso and arm. He was initially transported to a local hospital and later airlifted to University Medical Center in New Orleans for treatment.

Investigators learned Lachney had arrived at the house Sunday evening and was reportedly angry. Lachney was asked to leave but instead confronted the victim, challenging him to fight. During the fight, Lachney allegedly stabbed the victim during the altercation before leaving the residence. Deputies located Lachney traveling northbound on LA 308 in Lockport, and he was taken into custody. He was also found to have approximately 112 grams of marijuana in his possession.

Lachney was booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. He was charged with attempted second degree murder and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Bail is set at $550,000.

RUNAWAY TEEN: Darell Danos

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre is asking for the public’s help in locating 14-year-old Darell Danos of New Haven Street in Mathews. He was last seen leaving his home shortly after 10:30 p.m. on May 26, 2026.

Danos is described as 5′ 7″ tall, weighing approximately 120 pounds with black hair. He was last seen wearing a short-sleeved navy blue “Legacy” soccer jersey, dark-colored sweatpants, and cheetah-print slide sandals. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 532-2808, or simply dial 911.

Afternoon Rape Aggression Defense Course Scheduled for June in Raceland

(A previous release had the wrong times for this class. Please note the correct times below.)

Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will host a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) course on June 23-25, 2026, at the LPSO Shooting Range Classroom, located at 3451 Highway 182 in Raceland.

This self-defense course designed for women will take place over three days. The class will begin at 1 p.m. and end around 5 p.m. each day. Participants must attend all three days. Course instruction will be provided by certified R.A.D. instructors from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The cost of the course is $10 to cover the cost of course materials and is non-refundable. Class size is limited, and advance registration is required. You can register and pay for the course online at www.LPSO.net/classes. The class registration deadline is June 19, 2026, at 11 a.m.

For more information, please contact Lucie Morvant at (985) 446-2367 or email LPSOacademy@lpso.net.

Detectives Investigating Theft of Tools and Equipment from Raceland Business

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for theft of private tools and equipment this week.

On the morning of May 21, 2026, deputies and detectives responded to a report of property theft at a business in the 600 block of LA Highway 182 in Raceland. Investigators discovered forced entry onto the property where multiple structures were burglarized. The stolen tools and equipment are valued at tens of thousands of dollars.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by phone at 1-800-743-7433 or online at www.crimestoppersbr.org. Tips can also be submitted using the P3 Tips app on your mobile device. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.

Sheriff Webre Announces Plans for Click It or Ticket Campaign

Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office is joining other local law enforcement agencies in participating in the national Click It or Ticket campaign, which will take place May 19 through June 1, 2026. The campaign is coordinated and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and aims to encourage seat belt usage.

Throughout the campaign, additional deputies will be assigned to saturated patrol efforts to help ensure seat belt compliance and to help keep motorists safe. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, someone not wearing a seat belt dies in a traffic crash every 54 minutes on average.

Lafourche Parish Correctional Facilities to be Audited for Accreditation in 2026

Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Corrections Department is preparing to host auditors from the American Correctional Association (ACA) in efforts to gain reaccreditation for the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex and Transitional Work Program. The Transitional Work Program has been accredited by the ACA since 2004 and the Correctional Complex has been accredited since 2021.

Both facilities are voluntarily seeking accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections by demonstrating compliance with nationally established expected practices. An audit team from the commission will conduct a compliance audit of these facilities June 1-5, 2026.

Information relevant to compliance with standards can be emailed to the ACA Performance-Based Standards and Expected Practices Accreditation Department at SAC@aca.org. Information can also be submitted in writing to the following address: American Correctional Association, Performance-Based Standards and Expected Practices Accreditation Department, 206 North Washington Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Information must be received at least ten working days prior to the audit.

“The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office holds itself to the highest standards,” said Sheriff Webre. “This accreditation process provides direction and best practices for our correctional facilities. We look forward to the ACA audit to ensure we are operating within those best practices and receive input on how we can further improve.”

The Commission on Accreditation for Corrections and the American Correctional Association are private, non-profit organizations directing the accreditation of correctional programs in the United States and other countries.

RUNAWAY TEEN: Coden Cruz

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre is asking for the public’s help in locating 14-year-old Coden Cruz of King George Drive in Thibodaux. He was last seen at 4;30 p.m. on May 12, 2026, when he left his home without permission.

Coden Cruz is described as 5’3” tall, weighing approximately 120 pounds with black hair. He was last seen wearing a white polo shirt and khaki pants and riding a gold bicycle. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 532-2808, or simply dial 911.

2026 LSA Scholarship Awarded to South Lafourche High School Student

Sheriff Craig Webre announced that James Billiot has been selected as the Lafourche Parish recipient of the 2026 academic scholarship from the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association Scholarship Program.

Billiot, of Golden Meadow, is a senior at South Lafourche High School and plans to enroll at Nicholls State University in the fall. He plans to study business and accounting and obtain a license as a Certified Public Accountant. He is the son of LPSO Deputy Travis Billiot and Mrs. Maddi Billiot.

Sheriff Webre said, “James is an excellent student who is deserving of recognition. I wish him the best of luck as he pursues his goal of becoming a CPA. This scholarship program invests in Louisiana’s future and gives something back to our community.”

This scholarship is made possible by the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Honorary Membership Program. Louisiana Sheriffs provide scholarships to graduating high school students from each parish where the Sheriff is an affiliate of the Program. Qualities such as academic achievement, leadership, and character are considered in making selections of Sheriffs’ scholarship recipients. Scholarships are awarded in 64 parishes throughout the state.

James Billiot is pictured with Captain Brennan Matherne — James Billiot (left) is awarded his certificate by Captain Brennan Matherne (right)

Crime Stoppers Tip Leads to Arrest of Fugitive Wanted for Armed Robbery

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre, Houma Police Chief Travis Theriot, and Lockport Police Chief David Harrelson Jr. announced a fugitive wanted for a January 2025 armed robbery in Houma was arrested in Lockport. Darreka Boykins Jr., 25, of Houma was taken into custody on Monday.

The armed robbery occurred in January 2025 at a business in the 1900 block of Prospect Boulevard in Houma. Following an investigation, the Houma Police Department secured an arrest warrant for Boykins in connection with the crime, with bail amount set at $500,000. He also had two additional arrest warrants for failure to appear on unrelated charges.

Then, on May 4, 2026, an anonymous tip was submitted to Bayou Region Crime Stoppers indicating Boykins’ location at a residence on Comeaux Drive in the Town of Lockport. LPSO deputies and Lockport Police arrived at the residence, and Boykins surrendered without incident. He was taken into custody and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux and awaits transfer to Terrebonne Parish.

Citizens are reminded that Bayou Region Crime Stoppers is a nonprofit organization serving the parishes of Lafourche and Terrebonne. The organization encourages members of the community to assist law enforcement by offering avenues to submit information anonymously. Anyone with information on any crime or any fugitive can submit a tip anonymously by phone at 1-800-743-7433, online at CrimeStoppersBR.org, or via the Bayou Tips app on mobile devices. Tips submitted through Crime Stoppers could lead to a reward of up to $1,000.00 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.

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