Police and Fire Briefs for July 5, 2012

SU Police arrest suspect, 24, in rape

Southern University Police arrested a man Tuesday accused in the rape of a woman April 7 and taking pictures of her in her campus dorm room, according to an arrest warrant.

Timothy Daniel Randolph, 24, 1044 Barkley Drive, was booked into Parish Prison on one count each of forcible rape, extortion and video voyeurism, according to the warrant.

After Randolph raped the woman, he took cellphone photographs of her while she got into the shower and laid on her bed, the warrant said.

Randolph told the woman he also wanted to video her while she was in the shower, but the woman closed the door before he could do so, the warrant said.

Police book suspect in rape complaint

P olice arrested a Baton Rouge man Tuesday accused of forcing a woman to travel with him to a gas station so he could buy a condom to rape her, according to an arrest warrant.

The victim told police she heard someone knocking at her door.

When she opened it, she found Ralph Yates, the warrant said.

Yates shoved the woman, forced her into her bedroom and slapped her in the face, the warrant said.

Yates took the woman with him to a gas station so he could buy a condom, the warrant said.

He warned her that he would “break her face” if she tried to get help, according to the document.

Yates took the woman back to her home and raped her, the warrant said.

Yates, 33, 3311 Linden St., was booked into Parish Prison on one count each of forcible rape, second-degree kidnapping and aggravated burglary.

Woman, 20 accused of hitting 2 with car

Police arrested a woman Tuesday accused of intentionally striking two people with her car in the 4600 block of Lorraine Street on May 21, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

One of the victims told police he was arguing with Tameka Monique Oconner while riding in her car with the other victim, a juvenile, which led him to get out of the car with the juvenile, the affidavit said.

Oconner drove past the pair and went around the block before driving up behind them and hitting them with her car, the affidavit said.

Oconner, 20, 3750 Lorraine St., was booked into Parish Prison on one count each of aggravated battery with other dangerous weapons and cruelty to juveniles.

Electrical problem cited in house fire

Firefighters believe an electrical malfunction started a small house fire Tuesday night at 1428 Cora Drive, a Fire Department spokesman said.

The home’s occupants told firefighters they noticed something odd going on with the home’s electrical system, Robert Combs said in a news release.

They went outside and noticed smoke coming from an electrical panel, which firefighters also observed when they arrived at 9:47 p.m., he said.

As firefighters were calling Entergy, fire came out of a closet door in the bedroom on the opposite side of the electrical panel wall, Combs said.

Firefighters contained the flames to the closet area of the bedroom, he said. The rest of the home sustained light smoke and water damage.

No one was injured, Combs said.

Authorities book 7 on suspicion of DWI

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

Those booked and the counts against them:

• Chase Carlock, 23, 15767 Confederate Ave., first-offense DWI, improper lane usage, improper turns and reckless operation of a vehicle.
• Jason Everett, 35, 14377 Elise Catherine Drive, Gonzales, first-offense DWI, improper turn and drinking in a motor vehicle.
• Joseph Graves, 25, 329 Daventry Drive, second-offense DWI, improper lane usage and driver’s license suspended or revoked.
• Emily Kron, 20, 4000 Lake Beau Pre Blvd., first-offense DWI, improper turn and disobeying a traffic control device.
• Nicholas Phillips, 22, 5324 Dickens Drive, third-offense DWI and driver’s license suspended or revoked.
• Alex Schott, 23, 8751 Bayside Ave., first-offense DWI, license plate required and following too close.
• Montero Selders, 22, 5724 Sumrall Drive, first-offense DWI, drinking in a motor vehicle, obstruction of a highway and resisting an officer.

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