2 arrested in home invasion
Scott police arrested two men accused of barricading four children in a closet during a Jan. 16 home invasion and burglary, an official said Thursday.
Police Chief Chad Leger said James Allen Leblanc, 20, and Brian Keith Veronie, 26, both of Duson, were arrested Wednesday on one count each of burglary of an inhabited dwelling and four counts of false imprisonment.
The four children, ranging in age from 4 to 15, were home alone in the 1400 block of West Gate Road when two men entered the home, Leger said.
The men were not armed and did not force their way into the home, the police chief said.
Once inside, the burglars stole meat from the family’s freezer and several thousand dollars worth of electronics, Leger said.
Afterward, the men led the children to a closet and told them to get inside and barricaded them inside by propping an ironing board against the closet door, the police chief said.
Once the children knew the men were gone, they began to kick and push on the door until the ironing board gave way, he said.
Later, the children were able to assist police in developing a composite sketch of a suspect, Leger said.
The sketch was released to the media Tuesday and led investigators to a possible suspect, the police chief said.
All four picked Leblanc’s picture out of a photo lineup, Leger said.
Leger said Leblanc knew the family, although Leger declined to disclose the nature of that relationship.
“To put the kids through that kind of trauma is unbelievable,” the police chief said.
Police found Leblanc and Veronie at a residence on Colorado Road, the police news release said.
Both men confessed to taking part in the home invasion, Leger said.
The men also told police they had either sold or disposed of the stolen items, he said.
Police continue to search for those items and are asking anyone who may have the items to come forward to avoid any criminal liability for being in possession of stolen property, according to a police news release.
Leblanc faces an additional count of possession of an unregistered firearm, stemming from a sawed-off shotgun found at the residence on Colorado Road, the news release said.
Veronie also confessed to stealing copper from a home in Scott, the release said. He faces one count of felony theft.