UPDATE:
Sheriff Craig Webre has identified the school traffic guard who died Thursday morning as 67-year-old Larry Boudreaux of Thibodaux. Boudreaux died after being struck by a vehicle while directing traffic along LA Highway 20 in front of Chackbay Elementary School. Louisiana State Police are handling the investigation of the crash itself.
“It is with the greatest sorrow and regret that I announced the line of duty death of Larry Boudreaux, one of our dedicated school traffic guards,” said Sheriff Webre. “We are praying for Larry, his wife, and their two daughters during this extremely difficult time.”
Boudreaux began his career with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office in July 2016 and began serving as a school crossing guard in Bayou Blue. He was later reassigned to Chackbay Elementary School. He also spent hours volunteering at the LPSO Shooting Range. In addition to serving with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Boudreaux is also a U.S. Army veteran.
ORIGINAL RELEASE:
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a School Traffic Guard has died after being struck by a vehicle this morning in the northern area of Lafourche Parish. The identity of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office employee is not being released at this time. Louisiana State Police is investigating the crash itself.
Sheriff Webre said, “We are devastated by the news of this incident. My prayers and deepest sympathies go out to the family involved, as well as our Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office family as a whole.”
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a School Traffic Guard has died after being struck by a vehicle this morning in the northern area of Lafourche Parish. The identity of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office employee is not being released at this time. Louisiana State Police is investigating the crash itself.
Sheriff Webre said, “We are devastated by the news of this incident. My prayers and deepest sympathies go out to the family involved, as well as our Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office family as a whole.”
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a Raceland man has been arrested in connection to a shooting that took place on February 8, 2020. Joshua Ingram Jr., 18, has been charged with Attempted Second Degree Murder.
On the morning of February 8, 2020, deputies responded to a report of shots fired on St. Louis Street in Raceland. A 22-year-old man was struck by two rounds to the torso and was taken to a hospital. He was treated and later released.
Through investigation, detectives developed Josh Ingram Jr. as a suspect in the shooting. On Tuesday, February 18, detectives contacted Ingram. During questioning, Ingram admitted to his involvement in the crime. Detectives also recovered the gun believed to have been used in the shooting from Ingram’s residence.
Ingram was booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. He was charged with Attempted Second Degree Murder. Bail is set at $500,000.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct checkpoints on February 20, 2020, in Lafourche Parish. A seat belt checkpoint will be conducted during the evening hours of Thursday, February 20, followed by a DWI checkpoint which will continue into the early morning hours of Friday, February 21. These checkpoints are being conducted in coordination with the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign which runs February 14-27, 2020. The campaign is coordinated and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
During the seat belt checkpoint, deputies will be checking motorists for seat belt and safety seat violations, as well as for proper inspection tags and other potential violations. 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 Craig Webre reminds citizens to have a safe and happy Mardi Gras season. 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.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced detectives are investigating contractor fraud involving a woman from Walker, Louisiana. Danielle Matherne (also known as Danielle Gaspard or Danielle Morales), 35, is currently in custody in Tangipahoa Parish and has a lengthy criminal history of theft and fraud.
Earlier this month, a local news outlet reported Matherne, who operates a business under the name of Bellisimo Interior & Design, was under investigation for contractor fraud in St. Tammany Parish. After seeing the news story, a Lockport woman contacted the Sheriff’s Office on February 12, 2020. She said she had paid several thousand dollars to Matherne in November 2019 to remodel her kitchen. She said the work was started but never completed. She called the business multiple times but could not make contact with Matherne.
Investigators learned Matherne was currently incarcerated in Tangipahoa Parish and that there were active investigations in other parishes. Following an investigation, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Danielle Matherne for Contractor Fraud in this case. She currently remains in Tangipahoa Parish.
Matherne has prior arrests in several parishes, mostly for theft, fraud and related charges. In 2017, she was arrested in Lafourche Parish for Misapplication of Payments by a Contractor.
As detectives continue their investigation into Matherne, they are asking any residents of Lafourche Parish who have been victimized by her or her business to please contact Detective Stephen Schieffler at (985) 532-4357.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre will deliver the opening address at an Employer Engagement Forum this Thursday presented by Right on Crime. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on February 20, 2020, at Fletcher Technical Community College, 1407 Highway 311, Room 217, in Schriever. Experts from the community in the fields of Reentry, Community Development and Criminal Justice Reform, including representatives from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, will also speak at the event.
The Forum will address how local businesses can play a part in keeping our communities safer and helping our local economy by considering hiring persons who have been previously incarcerated. It will also highlight the experiences of the panelists and their expertise in preparing the formerly incarcerated for employment. The purpose of the forum is to assist employers in making informed decisions when considering hiring individuals with criminal backgrounds.
“With our Transitional Work Program (work release) and now with the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex, I have seen first-hand how rehabilitation and reentry can have a positive impact on individuals and the community at large,” said Sheriff Webre. “I thank the Right on Crime organization for bringing this important topic to the forefront through this event.”
Business leaders and human resource professionals are encouraged to attend. There is no cost to attend, and three re-certification credit hours will be awarded to members of the Society for Human Resource Management who attend the forum. For more information, or to register for the event, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/employer-engagement-forum-bayou-region-tickets-91464704393 or contact Scott Peyton, Louisiana Director for Right on Crime, at speyton@rightoncrime.com.
ABOUT RIGHT ON CRIME: Right on Crime is a national campaign of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, in partnership with the American Conservative Union Foundation and Prison Fellowship, that supports conservative solutions for reducing crime, restoring victims, reforming offenders, and lowering taxpayer costs. Right on Crime has advocated for proven reforms in 38 states, helping state legislatures pass comprehensive juvenile justice reform bills, overhaul civil asset forfeiture laws, establish oversight committees to ensure results and properly manage taxpayers’ money, close prisons, and divert savings back to the taxpayers and to recidivism-reducing programs.
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 14-27, 2020. 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 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.
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.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a man was arrested after being caught on a doorbell camera attempting to burglarize a vehicle. Danon Fulwiley Jr., 19, of Raceland was arrested just minutes after the incident on Monday night.
At around 11:20 p.m. on February 10, 2020, a resident in the 3100 block of LA Highway 308 in Raceland received an alert from her doorbell camera. Upon checking the camera, she observed a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt on her property and called the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. When deputies arrived, they reviewed the video and observed the man attempt to burglarize a vehicle parked under a carport outside the residence. Deputies relayed a description of the person to other deputies in the area.
Within seven minutes of the initial call from the citizen, another deputy in the area located a man fitting the description riding a bicycle. Deputies contacted the man who was later identified as Fulwiley. After confirming Fulwiley was the subject in the video, he was taken into custody.
Fulwiley was booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. He was charged with Criminal Trespassing and Attempted Simple Burglary of a Motor Vehicle. Bail has not yet been set.
“Thanks to the swift actions of the citizen and the deputies, this man was apprehended in minutes,” said Sheriff Webre. “This is another example of why we encourage citizens to invest in some sort of home security. There are many affordable options on the market, including doorbell cameras, and you can see the direct result of one of those devices in this case.”
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a man was injured in a shooting in Raceland on Saturday. The incident remains under investigation.
Just prior to 11 a.m. on February 8, 2020, deputies responded to a report of shots fired in the area of St. Louis Street in Raceland. Through investigation, deputies learned a 22-year-old man was struck by two rounds to the torso and was taken to a hospital where he remains in stable condition.
Few details are known about the shooting incident at this time, and detectives are asking for the public’s help in this investigation. Anyone with any knowledge of this incident is asked to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by phone at 1-800-743-7433, online at www.crimestoppersbr.org, or via the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office mobile app. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy Austin Travis escorts Blaine Breaux, one of the individuals arrested during Thursday’s roundup.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre and District Attorney Kristine Russell were on hand Thursday morning in Thibodaux as members of multiple agencies fanned out across the parish for a child support roundup of individuals who are not only behind in their child support payments but also have made no effort to make payments. Arrest warrants were prepared on 25 individuals who collectively owe child support payments of over $775,000.
“This operation had less to do with the amount owed, and more to do with the lack of effort to make payments,” said District Attorney Kristine Russell. “The majority of the men and women in Lafourche Parish pay their child support; in 2019, we collected over $10 million in child support payments. It is not our desire to put these individuals in jail for non-payment, but we must hold them responsible. We make every attempt to work with them to collect payments before making an arrest. Until we start investing in our children and our families, we will never see a change in our communities.”
District Attorney Russell noted that the roundup was only one portion of their year-round effort to hold those behind on child support accountable.
On the 25 warrants, a total of 9 individuals were arrested as part of the operation. Officials say they expect additional arrests to be made in the coming days. The combined child support payments owed by those arrested were nearly $290,000. Two of the individuals on the list, Blain Breaux and Norbert Bouzigar III, were found with suspected methamphetamine and will now face additional charges. Wendy Welch, who was not on the list and found with Bouzigar, was also found with suspected methamphetamine and taken into custody.
The following individuals were the focus of the operation:
Aaron Cheramie, 26, of Golden Meadow
Blaine Breaux, 32, of Galliano (Arrested)
Brandon Dumas, 38, of Thibodaux
Brandon Duncan, 27, of Thibodaux (Arrested)
Christopher Miller, 42, of Cut Off
Chance Hogan Jr., 40, of Raceland
Clayton Duncan, 36, of Galliano (Arrested)
Clifton Coleman Sr., 40, of Raceland
Corey Thornton, 50, of Lockport
Demont Johnson, 36, of Thibodaux
Donald Mathews, 42, of Thibodaux
Jeffrey Slack Sr., 48, of Thibodaux
Johnathan Hebert, 30, of Lockport
Larry Duncan, 53, of Thibodaux (Arrested)
Maurice Brown, 36, of Thibodaux
Michael Neely, 47, of Thibodaux (Arrested)
Nicklas Lyons, 40, of Lockport (Arrested)
Norbert Bouzigar III, 43, of Cut Off (Arrested)
Roy Caine, 51, of Raceland
Russell Lebouef, 40, of Larose
Ryan Arceneaux, 41, of Lockport (Arrested)
Steven Robinson, 51, of Raceland
Theron Steward, 42, of Raceland (Arrested)
Trimichael Cooks, 50, of Thibodaux
Vinnie Himel, 29, of Thibodaux
This operation combined the efforts of the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Thibodaux Police Department, Probation and Parole, Department of Social Services, and Acadian Ambulance
“The success this morning is just a small part of the larger operation efforts,” said Sheriff Craig Webre. “Proactive policing initiatives like this roundup have a much broader effect than just the people that get arrested during the operation. What we will see in the days to follow is that more and more people will be contacting the District Attorney’s Office or the Sheriff’s Office wanting to come in and pay.”
Webre continued, ”We are very serious about those who are not living up to their obligations and taking care of their children. We’re letting them know that we’re not going to forget about what they owe, and we’re going to be very vigilant and aggressive in pursuing them and holding them accountable.”
Anyone who owes child support payments is encouraged to contact the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office at (985) 448-3422 as soon as possible. Anyone who knows the location of any person wanted for failure to pay child support can submit information anonymously via Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by calling 1-800-743-7433 or by submitting a tip online at www.crimestoppersbr.org.
