Police and fire briefs for March 6, 2013

BR man arrested
in pedestrian death

An anonymous tip and vehicle fragments led to the arrest of a man accused in May of driving drunk and a hit-and-run that resulted in a fatality, authorities said Tuesday.

Kenneth Wayne Station, 37, 6869 Hanks Drive, Baton Rouge, was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Monday on one count each of vehicular homicide, hit-and-run, and driving under suspension, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks said in a news release.

Station is accused of hitting pedestrian Durell Anthony Ballard, 23, who died at a hospital, Hicks said.

A resident flagged down patrolling deputies at 11:56 p.m. May 27 after seeing Ballard in a ditch in the 7700 block of Hanks Drive, Hicks said.

Station admitted to detectives that he was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the incident, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Station said he returned to the scene, saw a man in a ditch, called 911 and then left, the affidavit says.

Station initially did not call authorities because he had been drinking alcohol and had several past DWI arrests, Hicks said.

2 Tara High students
with gun arrested

Two Tara High School students were arrested Tuesday after East Baton Rouge Parish authorities found an unloaded .38-caliber handgun in the booksack of a 16-year-old 10th-grader and after a second student put the gun in a classmate’s face during class.

The 16-year-old boy was booked into the parish’s Juvenile Detention Center on one count of illegal carrying of a weapon on school property, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks said in a news release.

Jesus Morejon, 17, was booked into Parish Prison on one count each of illegal carrying of a weapon on school property and aggravated assault, Hicks said. Morejon is accused of pointing the gun at another student in a threatening manner, Hicks said.

A school administrator contacted the East Baton Rouge Parish School Drug Task Force on Tuesday afternoon after a student anonymously reported that two students had a gun, Hicks said.

The 16-year-old student told deputies that he bought the gun illegally off the street, Hicks said.

LSU Police seek man
in theft at library

LSU Police are looking for a man accused of a theft on the fourth floor of the university’s Middleton Library on Monday.

Police will not release information about what the man is accused of taking, but the theft is enough to be considered a felony, police spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde said.

The suspect is described as a black man in his late teens to early 20s, standing 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 170 to 180 pounds, Lalonde said.

The suspect can be seen in surveillance footage wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark shorts and black tennis shoes.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call LSU Police at [phone] or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at [phone].

Five people booked
on DWI in EBR

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

Those booked and the counts against them:

• Jim Domingues, 35, 8686 Coy Ave., Baton Rouge, first-offense DWI, disobeying a police officer, possession of alcohol in a vehicle, driver’s license suspended or revoked, failure to maintain control, registration commercial vehicles exemption, and motor vehicle inspection required or expired.
• McKinley Kelly, 22, 5019 Baywell St., Baton Rouge, second-offense DWI, driver’s license suspended or revoked, failure to maintain control and careless driving.
• Epsy McCain, 24, 4541 Kilkenny Drive, Baton Rouge, first-offense DWI, window tint obscuring view prohibited, possession of alcohol in a vehicle, reckless operation of a vehicle, inspection sticker switched and driver’s license suspended or revoked.
• Clarity Robinson, 22, 1918 Arizona St., Baton Rouge, third-offense DWI, speeding, reckless operation of a vehicle, failure to signal, operating a vehicle while under suspension for a prior offense, motor vehicle inspection required or expired, seat belt violation, flight from officer and driver’s license suspended or revoked.
• Brian Tate, 39, 28760 Juban Road, Denham Springs, first-offense DWI, reckless operation of a vehicle and simple obstruction of a highway.

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

Comments

1) Comment by foldgers - 06/03/2013

Ok, DMJ, I just had to chip in. It is a possible theory, but if I began to hear cries for more money for CATS or heck, even trains, just so judges CAN punish offenders more harshly, I think I may have to go to a council meeting for that one. Idiocracy is what keeps these people driving, both on the judges and on the offenders. Even if there were 20,000 buses in this city running 24/7, if someone did not have a license, there are some of those who would still drive. If you take away their car, some will still drive other cars. Maybe first offenders should have automatic 30 days in jail. As in, the day you get caught, if you blow above the limit, 30 days in jail starting THAT day! As a result they may lose their job, so? That is the point. If a person could possibly lose their job as a result, they would think twice about doing it. And if you blow more than twice the limit, 60 days in jail. Triple the limit, 90. Please, I do NOT want to hear cries for me to pay more taxes so drunks will not repeat offend. I like your thinking DMJ, but I do not like the possibility of me paying more taxes as a way to prevent drunks from driving.

2) Comment by DMJ - 06/03/2013

You know the real reason (my own theory) that DWI penalties aren't worse than they are? Because the only real deterrent penalties would be jail time (and don't we already have enough people in jail?) or revoking a person's license and siezing their car. This would work, but we won't do it. Know why? Because then how would they get around? How would they get to work? You can't get the bus at night and if you miss the bus, the next one's in an hour and a half. You can't get around on a bike in this city safely. It's difficult and expensive to catch a cab, and most cabbies won't even go to some parts of town. Our transportation system is so auto-centric that we're purposefully lenient towards DWIs. We continue to let people drive because, in many cases, there is no alternative. In some European countries, you drive drunk and you lose your license for a long, long time, if not forever....then you take the train. We don't have that option in the U.S. I'm not saying it's ok to drink and drive (it's not) but I think the proliferation of DWIs is as much of a result of our poor transportation systems than anything else. Like I said...just a theory.

3) Comment by foldgers - 06/03/2013

Pattydiva, I am not sure why they do not post the judges names, but it is easy to see. Just go to the court house, go tot he DWI courtroom and read the docket outside of the room. They print it each day for the cases to be heard. Usually you just get a courtroom number assigned, not a judge, I THINK. Second, wow! 3rd offense at 22 years old??? I will say this, in court, it may still be only her first offense. If you are not found guilty of it, it will not count as an offense, the thing here is that the police always have it in their system as arresting you for a DWI, even if it was a complete bogus charge and you were 100% innocent, if you ever got pulled over again and arrested, it will still show up as another DWI and not your first. So, I think what should be done on the ones on their 2nd or third or more, is the news should report, who the PREVIOUS judges were, what the previous charges were and what the verdict was in the end for each of the past DWIs. As far as a I know, 3rd offense is a felony, if she was convicted of the previous two, and that is mandatory jailtime.

4) Comment by Pattydiva - 06/03/2013

I agree with tradewinns. Why is it you people wouldn't publish the judges name as soon as this person is put on the docket. We deserved to know who we're voting into office in a judges race. And I don't think they're likely to give us this kind of info in a campaign. But then todays' media is not there for the people like it used to be. It's there with political fear and brown nosing. So I, and I'm sure Tradewinns, won't be looking for you to make this request a reality.

5) Comment by hershey65 - 06/03/2013

ONLY 22 & your 3rd offense???!!! Clarity, you need to be put away before I see your name in the media for negligent homocide. You have a SERIOUS problem!! At the rate you are going, you may not live to see 25. Do everyone a favor & STAY off of the road. My biggest fear is being killed by you!!!

6) Comment by tradewinns - 06/03/2013

irony isn't it, the name clarity and she drives in a haze. publish the name of the judge(s) that allow her to walk among the law abidding.

7) Comment by Mildred Citizen - 05/03/2013

Remember the name Clarity Robinson. Only a matter of time before she kills somebody. Why doesn't the state lock these people up and protect the rest of us?