Police and fire briefs for May 7, 2012
Victim struck, killed by hit and run driver
Police found a woman’s body on Mohican-Prescott Crossover early Sunday, the victim of a hit-and-run driver.
Baton Rouge police were called to the 4200 block of Mohican-Prescott about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Capt. Elton Brown said in a news release.
Officers found the woman’s body in the roadway, and a man standing nearby. The police learned that a driver had hit the woman and left the scene, heading east on Mohican-Presscott, the release says.
Anyone with information can call the Traffic Homicide Division of the Police Department at (225) 389-7819, or Crimestoppers at (225) 344-STOP.
Bullet wound victims drive to Earl K. Long
A man with a bullet wound drove himself and another shooting victim to a hospital late Saturday, and police are searching for the shooter and a motive.
The wounded men arrived at LSU Earl K. Long Medical Center just after 10 p.m. Saturday, Capt. Elton Brown said Sunday in a news release.
The driver had been shot in the upper body and his passenger was suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, Brown’s release says. Both men were admitted to the hospital, one with a life-threatening injury, the other with a serious but non-life-threatening wound.
Brown said no motive has been established yet for the shooting, but that it happened near the 4700 block of Oaklan Drive about 10 p.m. Saturday.
Anyone with information can contact the Police Department’s Homicide Division at (225) 389-4869, or call Crimestoppers at (225) 344-STOP.
Man booked in fracas at BR airport
Baton Rouge police on Sunday identified a man who had become unruly at the Baton Rouge Metro Airport and taken into custody.
Jonathan Bonner, 38, 10905 Kingfisher Ave., entered the airport Saturday about 9 a.m., carrying a child, Cpl. Tommy Stubbs of the Baton Rouge police said in a news release.
Soon after, Bonner became loud and agitated, and began making “terrorizing threats,” Stubbs’ release says.
Transportation Security Administration workers and airport police took the child from Bonner, the release says.
Tony Williams, chief of police at the airport, said that when officers could not calm Bonner, two of them grabbed him and placed him on the ground to subdue him.
The officers, Joe Daniels and Josef Roesler, were injured in the incident, but were treated and released, airport spokesman Jim Caldwell said.
Baton Rouge police took Bonner to LSU Earl K. Long Medical Center for a medical evaluation, Stubbs’ release says. Afterward, they booked him into Parish Prison on counts of aggravated second-degree battery, terrorizing and resisting an officer.
Police accuse man of causing car accident
Baton Rouge police arrested a 21-year-old man accused of intentionally causing a head-on collision Sunday morning, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Police booked Preston Hall, 1015 Bayberry Ave., into Parish Prison on seven counts of attempted first-degree murder after he allegedly endangered the lives of the seven passengers in the two cars involved, according to the document.
About 12:20 a.m., a woman was driving Hall and four juveniles — who were all under the age of 13 — in a Jeep back from a party where Hall had gotten “very drunk,” the affidavit says.
Hall, who was seated in the passenger seat, began arguing with the female driver, accusing her of texting another man, the affidavit says.
The woman told detectives Hall grabbed the steering wheel several times in an attempt to get her to crash the car.
She was able to regain control of the steering wheel, but in the 4900 block of N. Foster Road, Hall “violently” grabbed the steering wheel and aimed it at an oncoming Mercury, causing a head-on collision, the affidavit says.
The detective wrote that the four children in the vehicle said that Hall had been intentionally trying to hurt the woman, and they were “in fear of their life,” the affidavit says.
The driver of the Mercury told detectives that at “the last moment the Jeep came towards him and struck him head-on.”
The Mercury driver’s 17-year-old son was a passenger in his car, the affidavit says.
Two victims were transported to a local hospital with injuries. Police did not say which victims were injured.
Police book seven
on suspicion of DWI
Authorities arrested at least seven people suspected of driving while intoxicated in East Baton Rouge Parish and booked them into Parish Prison between 2:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, booking records show.
Those booked and the counts against them:
- Craig Birdsell, 22, 3911 Hazel, Houston, Texas, first-offense DWI and careless driving.
- Boderick Butler, 30, 5258 Oaklan Ave., Baton Rouge, speeding and third-offense DWI.
- David Courrege, 45, 6025 De’Anne Marie Drive, Zachary, first-offense DWI and tail lamps required.
- Hollis Honeycutt, 26, 38927 Tyler Ballard Road, Walker, first-offense DWI, disobeying red light, failure to signal, driver’s license suspended and following too close.
- Lashotta Smothers, 23, 13921 Poydras Ave., first-offense DWI and driver’s license suspended or revoked.
- Kimberly Thomas, 36, 1185 Central Road, first-offense DWI, reckless operation and obstruction of a highway.
Compiled from staff reports. To talk to a crime reporter at The Advocate, call (225) 388-0369