Police briefs for Sept. 4, 2012
Work release inmate sought by deputies
East Baton Rouge Parish’s sheriff’s deputies are looking for a work release inmate who walked away from his job Monday on Coursey Boulevard, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office said.
Johnathan Kemon Brumfield, 22, was in Parish Prison for theft over $500, Casey Rayborn Hicks said in a news release.
Brumfield is described as 5 feet 10 inches, 150 to 160 pounds and bald, Hicks said. He was last seeing wearing a black short sleeve button-up shirt, black pants and brown work boots.
Anyone with information about Brumfield’s whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (225) 389-5000.
Four arrests made in home invasion case
Police arrested four men Sunday accused of breaking into a Congress Boulevard apartment and attacking the occupant, according to affidavits of probable cause.
Officers were dispatched to 3030 Congress Blvd. and found a victim who said four men broke into his apartment and punched him multiple times, the affidavits say.
The victim said one man, Miguel Marquez, 25, fled the scene before police arrived but told the victim before he left that he was going to kill him, the affidavits say.
Police found two men, Mario Alexander Marquez Flores, 21, and Esteban Humberto Marquez Flores, 23, in the complex’s parking lot and arrested them at the scene, the affidavits say.
Officers examined the apartment and found that the door frame was broken and most of the residence was in disarray, the affidavits say.
Police later found Cristian Javier Marquez Rodriguez, 18, nearby, and the victim identified him as one of the attackers, the affidavits say.
The victim later called police again after Marquez, the man who threatened to kill the victim, returned to the victim’s apartment, the affidavits say. Marquez was later arrested.
Mario Flores, Esteban Flores and Rodriguez, all of 3030 Congress Blvd., Apt. 146, were booked into Parish Prison on one count each of home invasion.
Marquez, whose address was only listed as South Park Drive, was booked on one count each of home invasion and simple assault.
Man booked in knife attack on Dan Drive
Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 37-year-old man Monday accused of stabbing another man in front of a house on Dan Drive, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
A patrolling deputy noticed a large crowd gathered in front of 7405 Dan Drive and two men fighting in the driveway, the affidavit says.
One man, Kevin Perry, tried to run away as the deputy arrived, but was caught a short time later, the affidavit says.
The deputy later contacted the victim, who informed the deputy that he and Perry had been arguing in front of the Dan Drive home, the affidavit says.
The victim said he tried to walk away but Perry pulled out a knife and slashed him on the left arm and stabbed him in the chest, the affidavit says.
Perry told the deputy he confronted the victim because the victim beat up his nephew, the affidavit says. Perry said he did not have a knife, the affidavit says.
Perry, 7405 Dan Drive, was booked into Parish Prison on one count of attempted second-degree murder.
Firefighters suspect arson in duplex fire
Firefighters believe arson is the cause of a Monday morning duplex fire on Stan Avenue, a Fire Department spokesman said.
Firefighters received a call shortly after 10 a.m. about a fire investigators believe was set intentionally outside of a vacant structure at 11457 Stan Ave., Curt Monte said in a news release.
The fire traveled up the outside of the structure and into the attic, causing extensive damage to the attic, Monte said. The fire was contained in the attic and didn’t spread to adjacent structures, and there were no reported injuries, Monte said.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Baton Rouge Fire Department at (225) 354-1419.
Apartment fire likely started from lighter
A fire Monday morning that was started by a child playing with a lighter caused several thousand dollars worth of damage to a Cedarcrest Avenue apartment, a spokesman for the Fire Department said.
Firefighters arrived at Cedarwood Apartments, 3484 Cedarcrest Ave., shortly before noon to find one of the apartment units on fire, Curt Monte said in a news release.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze quickly, preventing it from spreading to other units and limiting the damage to smoke damage, he said. There were no injuries.
A Fire Department prevention officer was called to the scene to counsel the child, who will be entered into a fire education program, Monte said.
Vacant house fire under investigation
Firefighters are investigating the cause of a vacant house fire Monday on Halsey Street off Plank Road, the Brownsfield Volunteer Fire Department said.
Firefighters were called at 11:47 a.m. about the blaze, at 5571 Halsey, Brownsfield Chief Carroll Campbell said. The blaze was under control by 12:10 p.m., he said.
The fire damaged the living room and part of the attic, Campbell said.
Arson investigators were called out to the scene as part of standard protocol, but firefighters still have not determined the cause of the blaze, Campbell said.
Nobody was hurt in the fire, Campbell said.
Firefighters from the District 6 Fire Department and Baton Rouge Fire Department were called to assist, Campbell said.
Four booked on suspicion of DWI
Authorities arrested at least four 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. Monday, booking records show.
Those booked and the counts against them:
- Zachary Cavalier, 25, 5555 Houston Drive, first-offense DWI and improper lane usage.
- Elmore Dixon, 52, 2779 Cedar Ave., first-offense DWI, driver’s license suspended or revoked, and reckless operation of a vehicle.
- Darrell Firman, 52, 12250 Devall Road, first-offense DWI, failure to maintain control and insurance required.
- Jeffrey Miller, 43, 4008 Katherine Way Drive, Zachary, first-offense DWI and failure to maintain control.
Compiled from staff reports. To talk to a crime reporter at The Advocate, call (225) 388-0369.