Suspects linked to burglaries in 3 parishes

LIVINGSTON — Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputies arrested three people wanted for numerous burglaries in at least three parishes after detectives noticed a recurring name in pawnshop records, a spokeswoman for Sheriff Jason Ard said Friday in a news release.

Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Burglary Division were making a routine records check in parish secondhand shops Oct. 9 and observed Rachel Nicholson’s name was prominent, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Lori Steele said.

In a follow-up investigation, detectives were able to link property in the shops to burglaries in the parish, and they arrested Nicholson, 28, 11675 Firewood Lane, Denham Springs, the next day, Steele said.

Steele said detectives knew Nicholson and her boyfriend, Brian Fugler, were involved in burglaries that occurred in Livingston Parish in 2010.

Continuing their checks of Nicholson and Fugler’s secondhand dealer transactions, detectives found numerous other articles related to burglaries in Livingston, East Baton Rouge and Ascension parishes, Steele said.

Deputies arrested Fugler, 27, 38646 Hess Road, Denham Springs, on Oct. 11; and Sally Spence, 33, 32364 Mercier Road, Denham Springs, Steele said.

Spence was booked on one count of simple burglary, while Nicholson and Fugler were booked on 16 counts of simple burglary.

Deputies also booked Nicholson with one count of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, and her bail was set at $250,000.

Fugler, whose bail was set at $200,000, also was booked with resisting an officer, Steele said.

Spence is being held in lieu of $15,000 bail.

Steele said investigators are retrieving stolen property and contacting victims of the burglaries in the tri-parish area.

The burglaries occurred between August and this month, she said.

Ascension and East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputies are assisting in the recovery of stolen property, Steele said.

Comments

1) Comment by Cadaver - 18/01/2013

As one of the homeowners who was burglarized I do not wish for these three to go to prison. Why? Essentially, if we send this scum to prison you and I are getting robbed every year (through taxes) to feed and house these socially maladjusted cretins. Put them to hard labor and and pay them. Then make them pay back the people they've wronged, they are free when their monetary debt is paid off. This would be justice. The people wronged would get their hard earned money/goods back and the criminals would learn a lesson. I'd even go so far as to bet money that recidivism would drop as most of these malcontents would be horrified to actually do hard labor vs. sitting around getting three square meals, cable and a gym without lifting a finger.

2) Comment by Godsgirl - 22/10/2012

I 100% agree the crime should be punished & punished more than what our justice system normally does. However, saying a person would look better with their face shot off is completely uncalled for and unrelated to the act committed. Not to mention even more painful for the families who are already suffering because their family member has destroyed their lives this way.

3) Comment by tradewinns - 20/10/2012

drugs are a self inflected instrument of their own destruction, i do not feel sorry for them or condone any of their criminal actions. in fact, IMHO, a crime commited to fund an illegal drug habit whould be punished twice as harshly, once for the crime and again because the crime was "caused" by another illegal act! try getting out of a speeding ticket by telling the cop you had to speed, you were late for the armed robbery your gang is commiting.

4) Comment by Godsgirl - 20/10/2012

I realize everyone is entitled to their opinions and all criminals deserve the punishment they get. However, people need to keep in mind that all criminals also have a family (parents, children, etc.) they left behind who still love them, just as God loves us even after we mess up. For that reason, we should be careful how we comment. If you ever end up with a close family member or friend in a situation such as this, you will look at things very differently. Drugs do make a person look rough, but some of these comments were completely uncalled for.

5) Comment by tradewinns - 20/10/2012

perhaps the state, in addition to the prison time, should remove one of their thumbs. they would still be able to function with the other one but the knowledge they could lose the other one may turn their thought process around. at the very least their stealing speed would be slowed by almost half.

6) Comment by mikes - 19/10/2012

The local pawnshops are required to inform the police each week exactly what they take in on a loan / purchase. Along with verifying the sellers I.D. and a description of everything they take. There are very few pawnshops in Livingston Parish and most of them work closely with the police to prosecute criminals. When someone takes stolen property to a pawnshop, they are committing fraud by signing the pawn ticket. State law mandates that any seller affirm that they are the owner of the item and it is free of encumbrances.

7) Comment by Chucky - 19/10/2012

@redavaw1 - I missed that, and i bet there is a lot of 'trade' being overlooked.

8) Comment by redavaw1 - 19/10/2012

Why werent the businesses charged with receiving stolen property? That migh make them check a little better. HELLO!! If you get items from the same people on a regular basis maybe you should be the ones to call the cops first! There is entirely too much looking the other way in Livingston Parish.

9) Comment by BoiledCrabs - 19/10/2012

I guess when you're a drug addict it doesn't occur to you that if you walk into the wrong house at the wrong time you'll get your face blown off with a 12 gauge. But from the photos that would be an improvement.

10) Comment by Chucky - 19/10/2012

Was the camera broke? they look like they were left in a microwave to long.

11) Comment by Bouncer - 19/10/2012

Behold the wonders of meth!