Police & Fire Briefs Aug. 10, 2012

Suspect in 2009 rape caught in Mississippi

A 40-year-old man accused of handcuffing and raping a young woman in her Nicholson Drive home in July 2009 was booked Wednesday into Parish Prison after he was transported from a prison in Hattiesburg, Miss., where he had been held on a similar sex-crime charge, a police spokesman said.

Police Cpl. Tommy Stubbs said both city police and Hattiesburg police identified James Harold Crockett Jr., of Chalmette, as the rapist soon after similar rape cases were reported in both cities in 2009.

The Hattiesburg rape was reported shortly after the one in Baton Rouge.

“We all got him identified around the same time but they got their hands on him first,” Stubbs said.

Crockett knocked on a 22-year-old woman’s apartment door at 5075 Nicholson Drive on about 12:30 a.m. on July 5, 2009, according to an arrest warrant issued at the time.

He asked to see the victim’s roommate, referring to the roommate by her first name. Then, he asked if he could use the bathroom, the warrant says.

The victim told police she allowed him inside her apartment because Crockett “claimed to be a friend of (her) roommate,” the warrant says.

Once inside the apartment, Crockett grabbed the victim and, while she was screaming, began shooting her with a stun gun in her shoulder, wrist, leg and cheek, the warrant says.

The warrant says Crockett then handcuffed the victim’s wrists in front of her body and handcuffed her wrists to her ankles.

The victim told police once she was handcuffed, Crockett raped her in her bedroom, the warrant says.

Crockett, 3107 Buffon St., Chalmette, was booked into Parish Prison on counts of aggravated rape, aggravated battery and false imprisonment with a dangerous weapon, booking records show.

Suspected gunman arrested in shooting

Police arrested a 23-year-old man Thursday accused of firing multiple shots into a north Baton Rouge house, striking a woman twice in the legs, according to an arrest warrant.

The warrant says Joshua Washington fired approximately six times into a house at 2047 N. 15th St. about 6:30 p.m. July 24.

The 23-year-old woman who was struck was sitting on the arm of a couch facing away from North 15th Street. Two other people were on the same couch and two more were in the same room, the warrant says.

A witness said he heard shots being fired as he saw Washington driving a white vehicle — with his left hand holding a pistol and his right hand on the steering wheel — back out of the house’s driveway and drive away, the warrant says.

Washington, 5370 Fairfield Ave., was booked into Parish Prison on five counts of attempted first-degree murder, illegal discharge of a weapon and aggravated criminal damage to property, booking records show.

Police accuse man of indecent behavior

A man accused of trying to grab a 13-year-old boy’s penis in April was arrested Wednesday, according to an arrest warrant.

Police arrested Raynard Johnson, 26, 2455 Wellwood Drive, and booked him into Parish Prison on counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, booking records show.

According to the warrant, Johnson made a sexual comment about the boy, then tried to grab his penis before the boy knocked his hand away.

Johnson then asked the boy if he could perform oral sex on him, according to the warrant.

Motorcyclist injured; police hunting SUV

Police are searching for the driver of an orange Saturn SUV accused of hitting the back of a motorcycle Wednesday night in the 12000 block of Old Hammond Highway, according to a news release.

The 30-year-old motorcyclist, who was found lying in the road, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, the news release said. The crash occurred at 10:13 p.m.

Witnesses told police the motorcycle was traveling west on Old Hammond Highway when the Saturn struck it from behind.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at [phone] or Crime Stoppers at [phone].

Authorities book 3 on suspicion of DWI

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

Those booked and the counts against them:

• Trista Hughes, 27, 453 Nassau Drive, first-offense DWI, careless operation and driver’s license suspended/revoked.
• Matthew Potter, 28, 10732 South Mall Drive, third-offense DWI and driving over median.
• Kelvin Turner, 24, 24853 Eubanks Road, Clinton, first-offense DWI, driver’s license not on person, speeding and an unknown charge from the penal system.

Compiled from staff reports. To talk to a crime reporter at The Advocate, call [phone].