Police and fire briefs for June 16, 2012

BR man, 17, accused of assaulting girl, 15

Police arrested a man Thursday accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, according to an affidavit warrant.

Police said Ricardo Wiggins, 17, 5561 Dianna Drive, pushed a 15-year-old girl down and tried to touch her sexually, using force, as she cried and told him “stop” and “no,” the affidavit states.

Wiggins was booked into Parish Prison on counts of sexual battery, booking records show.

Man arrested in theft of items from church

Police arrested a man Wednesday accused of breaking into a church and stealing thousands of dollars worth of equipment, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Carl Wright, 23, 3313 Chippewa Street, is alleged to have broken a window in the rear of The Ark of Safety Church at 2830 Erie Street on Dec. 17 to gain entry.

Wright stole $6,700 worth of musical instruments and other equipment from the church, then sold the stolen items to a pawn shop for $184, the affidavit states. Someone affiliated with the church saw one of the stolen items — a radio amplifier — on sale at the pawn shop and bought it, which is how Wright was identified, the affidavit states.

Wright was booked into Parish Prison on counts of burglary of a religious building, booking records show.

Police seek suspect in grocery store robbery

Police are investigating the armed robbery of a grocery store that occurred Friday morning.

A gunman robbed Adams Grocery, 1455 North Acadian Thruway, at 8:26 a.m. Friday, police spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said.

Police described the robber as a black man, in his late 20s, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 165 to 170 pounds with a short haircut. He was wearing a white T-shirt, black pants and a blue bandana covering the lower part of his face.

Anyone with information on this robbery can contact police at (225) 389-3845 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.

Detectives searching for holdups suspect

Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a suspect wanted for multiple violent crimes, a spokesman said.

Patrick Jamar Harris, 17, of Baton Rouge, is wanted on three counts of armed robbery, aggravated kidnapping and first-degree robbery, Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said.

Detectives, who have been searching for Harris since March, believe he is still “actively committing crimes in the Baton Rouge area,” McKneely said.

Police believe Harris held up multiple victims in the Baton Rouge area using a handgun from March through May, McKneely said.

In one of the cases, Harris kidnapped his victim, who was later released, police said.

Police said Harris is approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, 160 pounds, has a short haircut and had a top row of gold teeth.

Harris knows he is wanted by law enforcement and has moved frequently, McKneely said.

The suspect is believed to be in the Baton Rouge area, and should be considered armed and dangerous, McKneely said.

Anyone who knows Harris’ location can contact the Armed Robbery Division at (225) 389-3845 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.

Authorities book 6 on suspicion of DWI

Authorities arrested at least six people suspected of driving while intoxicated in East Baton Rouge Parish and booked them into Parish Prison between 2:30 p.m. Thursday and 2:30 p.m. Friday, booking records show.

Those booked and the counts against them:

• Andrew Arceneaux, 20, 576 Hoseman Lane, Covington, first-offense DWI and equipment violation.
• Dakota Beasley, 20, 462 US Highway 61, Jackson, first-offense DWI, reckless driving and speeding.
• James Bruno, 26, 13099 Hanson Road, Gonzales, first-offense DWI and speeding.
• Roudy Hughes, 47, 29543 Aster Street, Walker, first-offense DWI, reckless driving and improper lane usage.
• Daniel Manning, 22, 2881 Highway 966 Street, St. Francisville, first-offense DWI, possession of Schedule I drugs and improper lane usage.
• Bobby Moreau, 34, 42480 Dippy Babin Road, Gonzales, second-offense DWI, improper lane usage, text messaging prohibited, reckless driving, and failure to change address on driver’s license.

Compiled from staff reports. To talk to a crime reporter at The Advocate, call (225) 388-0369.