Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of Jimmy Arabie Sr. (age 49) of Raceland on Friday, February 2. An investigation into Arabie began in late December 2017 when juvenile detectives received a report in reference to possible sexual battery of a juvenile. Through investigation, detectives learned Arabie allegedly had inappropriate sexual contact with the juvenile and had allegedly committed other illegal acts which were sexual in nature. Following an investigation, detectives obtained warrants for Arabie’s arrest. Detectives made contact with Arabie on Friday, February 2, and he was arrested on the active warrants. Arabie was charged with Sexual Battery (Forcible Fondling), Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile, and Peeping Tom. He was released Friday evening after posting $100,500 bond. Due to the nature of the investigation, no further details will be released.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the statewide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is off to a great start in Lafourche Parish after deputies charged four individuals with DWI in the first three days. The campaign runs February 2-14, 2018, and it is coordinated and funded by the National Traffic Safety Administration and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
The first incident occurred on Friday, February 2, at about 10:20 p.m. when deputies observed a vehicle swerve in and out of the lane of travel along LA Highway 3185 in Thibodaux. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Rustin Guidry. Guidry was exhibiting signs of possible intoxication. Deputies conducted a field sobriety test on which Guidry performed poorly. A breathalyzer test showed Guidry to have a blood alcohol content of .152g%. Deputies also learned Guidry had been arrested for his first DWI offense in March 2017, and his license was still suspended. Guidry was arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Detention Center in Thibodaux. He was charged with DWI (2nd Offense), driving under suspension, and improper lane usage. He was released after posting $1,050 bond.
The following individuals were also charged with DWI (1st Offense) over the weekend: Laura Honeycutt (age 56) of Lockport; Vicki Luquette (age 39) of Thibodaux; and Nat Alario (age 49) of Cut Off.
Whether attending a parade or a party, or drinking at an establishment, Sheriff Craig Webre reminds citizens to NEVER drive if you have had anything to drink containing alcohol.
“Before you leave your home, you should have a designated driver or a plan to avoid driving altogether,” said Sheriff Webre. “During the Carnival season, we have many more people on the roadways and many more children near the roadways, especially around parade routes. It is NEVER a good decision to drink and drive, but making that decision at this time of year could be even more catastrophic. Please consider your family and innocent bystanders who could be harmed or even killed by such an irresponsible decision which can always be avoided.”
Remember that driving under the influence of narcotics, even some legal medications, can also impair your ability to drive and lead to a DWI arrest. Always read warning labels and instructions on prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct multiple checkpoints over the next two weeks Lafourche Parish. Seat belt checkpoints will be conducted during the daytime hours of Wednesday, February 7, and Wednesday, February 14, 2018. Another seat belt checkpoint will be conducted during the evening hours of Thursday, February 15, followed by a DWI checkpoint which will continue into the early morning hours of the following day. During the seat belt checkpoints, deputies will be checking motorists for seat belt and safety seat violations, as well as for proper inspection tags and insurance. During the DWI checkpoint, deputies will be looking for drivers who are possibly impaired while checking for other traffic safety issues. These checkpoints are designed to help raise awareness for these types of violations and make the highways of the parish safer for all motorists.
Sheriff Webre reminds citizens to designate a driver if you are going to drink. Motorists suspected of DWI who refuse to submit to a breathalyzer test will lose their driver’s license for one year (first offense). For a second offense, the penalty increases to two years. Anyone convicted of a DWI offense while their driver’s license is suspended because of another DWI offense will face automatic prison time. Lafourche Parish is also a “No Refusal” parish, meaning if a suspected drunk driver refuses a breathalyzer test, deputies will seek a search warrant to have that person’s blood tested.
These checkpoints are being conducted in conjunction with the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign which runs through February 15, 2018. The campaign is coordinated and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. In addition to these checkpoints, additional deputies have been assigned to saturated patrol efforts throughout the campaign to target impaired drivers and help keep motorists safe.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of Devin Ingram (age 26) of Raceland on Wednesday, January 31. Just before 11 p.m. on Wednesday night, deputies initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling along LA Highway 182 in Raceland. Deputy made contact with the driver who initially gave a false name, but he was later identified as Devin Ingram, a convicted felon. Deputies detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and they discovered 14 small bags of suspected marijuana and a firearm. Collectively, the bags contained over 24 grams of suspected marijuana. Ingram was arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Detention Center in Thibodaux. He was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Illegal Carrying of a Weapon in the Presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, and Resisting an Officer. His bond is set at $60,500, but he is also being held for Louisiana Probation and Parole.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre reported the arrest of a fugitive who had warrants with bonds totaling over $400,000. Tyrone Showalter (age 35) of Galliano was arrested following a traffic stop in Golden Meadow on Tuesday, January 30.
Deputies learned Showalter, who is a convicted felon, was in the Grand Isle area on Tuesday and that he would be returning to Lafourche Parish later that day. Showalter had eight active warrants for Contempt of Court with bonds totaling over $400,000. The contempt warrants were for failure to appear in court this month on various charges including DWI, weapons charges, drug charges, and traffic violations.
Deputies obtained a description of Showalter’s last known vehicle. At around 1:40 p.m., deputies observed a vehicle fitting that description traveling northbound on LA Highway 3235 in Golden Meadow. The vehicle turned onto St. Louis Street in Golden Meadow, and then onto South Bayou Drive where deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop. After the driver stopped the vehicle, Showalter exited from the passenger side, running toward Bayou Lafourche. At that time, deputies noticed Showalter was armed with a black handgun as he jumped into the bayou. Deputies observed three bags of suspected narcotics floating near Showalter, and ordered him to come out of the bayou. Showalter proceeded to quickly rip open each of the bags in the water before moving to the bank and surrendering to deputies.
Water patrol deputies and investigators arrived, and they retrieved a loaded handgun from the bayou, as well as one of the empty bags. Deputies learned the handgun had been reported stolen out of Terrebonne Parish. Deputies also found drug paraphernalia near the passenger seat of the vehicle where Showalter was sitting. No probable cause was found on any charges for the driver, and he was released.
Showalter was arrested and transported to the Lafourche Parish Detention Center in Thibodaux. Upon arrival, deputies located over $300 in counterfeit bills on his person. He was booked on the eight contempt warrants, and he was also booked with Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Obstruction of Justice, Monetary Instrument Abuse, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His total bond is set at $496,400.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of Rahmoud Thigpen (age 36) of Baton Rouge on Monday, January 29.
At around 12:30 a.m. on Monday morning, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling along LA Highway 182 in Raceland. Deputies made contact with the driver and identified him as Thigpen. Deputies noticed the smell of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. During the course of the investigation, Rahmoud admitted to having firearms and narcotics inside the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, deputies discovered over 100 MDMA pills, over 92 grams of marijuana, two Xanax pills, two legend drugs for which he had no prescription, and assorted drug paraphernalia. During the search, deputies also discovered an AR-15 rifle and two pistols with extended magazines.
Thigpen was arrested and transported to the Lafourche Parish Detention Center in Thibodaux. He was booked with Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and MDMA, as well as Possession of Xanax, a Legend Drug, and Drug Paraphernalia. He was also charged with Illegal Carrying of a Weapon in the Presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance and no license plate light. His bond is set at $55,550.
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office has announced a Concealed Handgun Training Course will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the LPSO Shooting Range Facility located at 3451 Highway 182 in Raceland. The class will begin at 8:00 a.m. and last until approximately 5:00 p.m. with a break for lunch. The actual ending time will vary due to class size.
The course will include the following:
One hour of instruction on handgun nomenclature and safe handling procedures of a revolver and semi-automatic pistol.
One hour of instruction on ammunition knowledge and fundamentals of pistol shooting.
Three hours of instruction on the use of deadly force and conflict resolution. (Includes a review of R.S. 14:18 through 14:22 and which may include a review of any other laws relating to the use of deadly force)
One hour of instruction on handgun shooting positions.
One hour of instruction on child access prevention.
Two hours of actual live range fire and proper handgun cleaning procedures. Live range fire shall include 12 rounds each at 5 feet, 10 feet, and 15 feet for a total of 36 rounds.
Must perform at least one safe reload of the handgun at each distance.
Must score 100% hits within the silhouette portion of an NRA B-27 type silhouette target with 36 rounds.
The cost for the course is $110, and advance registration is suggested due to limited class size. This course is a pre-requisite for those applying for a Concealed Handgun Permit from the State of Louisiana. CLICK HERE to register online for the course, or for more information, please contact Captain Lafate Day at (985) 449-4485 or by email at lafate-day@lpso.net.
Participants will need to bring 50 rounds of ammunition, eye protection (sunglasses or eyeglasses are sufficient), and ear protection (muffs or plugs).
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced several more people have been charged this week in connection to residential burglaries. A total of 15 people have been arrested on burglary charges thus far in January 2018, and several more face other charges in connection with burglaries.
Kevin Scioneaux (age 32) of Thibodaux was initially arrested in December 2017. He had allegedly stolen a firearm from outside a Kraemer residence in November. Then on December 27, as Water Patrol deputies were responding to a series of camp burglaries in the Choctaw area, they discovered Scioneaux traveling by boat with several items determined to have been stolen. At that time, he was charged with Theft of a Firearm and one count of Simple Burglary. Through further investigation, detectives linked him to four more camp burglaries. Scioneaux, who was still in jail since his December arrest, was booked on four additional counts of Simple Burglary on Wednesday.
Markell Folse (age 17) and Corey Porter Jr. (age 19), both of Raceland, were charged in two Raceland burglaries. One occurred at a shed on Peps Lane on October 17, 2017, and the other occurred at a residence on St. Phillip Street on Monday, January 22, 2018. They were charged with two counts each of Simple Burglary and booked accordingly into the Lafourche Parish Detention Center. Porter was additionally charged with Illegal Possession of stolen things due to him having stolen property in his possession when deputies made contact with him. Deputies learned the property was stolen during a burglary of a residence on St. Patrick Street in Raceland in mid-December, and that crime is still under investigation. Deputies also found Justavran Howard (age 19) and Kanisha Rener (age 17), both of Raceland, in possession of stolen items from that burglary. They were charged accordingly.
Chris Wheaton (age 51) of Raceland was arrested for Simple Burglary on Thursday, January 25. He was arrested in reference to a residential burglary on Morristown Road in Raceland in December 2017. Gabrielle Griffin (age 34) of Raceland was arrested for Simple Burglary in December for this incident.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre applauded the efforts of patrol deputies and detectives in these cases. “We understand how frustrating property crimes can be for the victims,” said Sheriff Webre. “In many ways, they can be frustrating to investigate as well. Thanks to some great, old-fashioned police work, we were able to make progress on a number of these burglaries in a short amount of time, resulting in the recent arrests.”
In most cases, burglaries occur when a home, shed, or vehicle is not locked or secured. In the cases wherein forced entry is made, it is typically due to valuable items being seen from the outside, or burglars may otherwise have knowledge of valuable items inside. “Keeping your doors and windows closed and locked and keeping valuables out of sight are the best ways to avoid becoming a victim of burglary,” said Sheriff Webre.
Kevin ScioneauxMarkell FolseCorey Porter JrChris WheatonGabrielle Griffin
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct a seat belt checkpoint during the daytime hours of Wednesday, January 24, 2018, in Lafourche Parish. During the checkpoint, deputies will be checking motorists for seat belt and safety seat violations, as well as for proper inspection tags and insurance. Checkpoints are designed to help raise awareness for these types of violations and make the highways of the parish safer for all motorists.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will join other local law enforcement agencies in participating in the statewide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign which runs through the Mardi Gras season – February 2-14, 2018. The campaign is coordinated and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
Additional deputies will be assigned to saturated patrol efforts to target impaired drivers and help keep motorists safe. There will also be several checkpoints held in conjunction with the campaign.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drunk driving is a deadly epidemic that takes the lives of more than 10,000 people each year, on average. In 2016, 268 people were killed as a result of driving under the influence of alcohol in Louisiana alone.
Sheriff Craig Webre reminds citizens to have a plan to get home safely before you decide to drink. Whether you are attending a parade or a party, or drinking at an establishment, NEVER drive if you have had anything to drink containing alcohol. Remember that driving under the influence of illegal narcotics can also lead to a DWI arrest. In fact, some legal medications can impair your ability to drive. Always read warning labels and instructions on prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Sheriff Webre also thanks citizens for their cooperation and patience when passing through these checkpoints and for recognizing the importance of raising awareness for safety issues.
