Police and fire briefs for Sept. 7, 2012
Employee accused
of theft, wire fraud
A Baton Rouge woman accused of stealing more than $180,000 from her employer was arrested Thursday and booked into Parish Prison on one count each of theft and computer fraud.
Theresa L. Gomez, an escrow officer for a local title company, used her work computer to create 270 fraudulent wire transfers from her employer’s bank account to her own bank account and the bank accounts of some of her family members, an arrest warrant says.
Gomez, 12427 Percival Ave., wired a little more than half of the $183,230 to four bank accounts belonging to her relatives, the warrant says. She wired the remaining money to her own bank account, the warrant says.
Man booked on molestation counts
A 29-year-old man accused of molesting a mentally disabled girl earlier this month has been arrested, according to a affidavit of probable cause.
Travis Laquan Chavis, 1957 Ardenwood Drive. No. 3, was booked into Parish Prison on a count of molestation of a juvenile, parish prison records show.
According to the affidavit, Chavis sexually assaulted the victim on Sept. 3 in her home. Chavis admitted to the crime when questioned by police, the affidavit says.
Man, 22, arrested
in Sept. 2 shootings
A 22-year-old man accused of shooting at two people Sept. 2 in the 8300 block of Ned Avenue has been arrested, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Christopher Demond Cooper, 8305 Ned Ave., was booked into Parish Prison on Tuesday on one count each of attempted first-degree murder and simple criminal damage to property, prison records show.
According to the affidavit, Cooper shot at two people several times while they took cover behind a white truck on Ned Avenue.
The two managed to run away from Cooper after he stopped firing shots, according to the affidavit. A witness said the shooting was a result of an earlier altercation between Cooper and the victims.
Suspects in car wash shooting arrested
Three men accused of robbing two people at the Mickens Road Carwash on Tuesday with a pistol and shotgun have been arrested, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Montrell Lee, 19, 5840 W. Rio Drive; Lerrick Coleman, 17, 7021 Poinsettia Drive; and Rantrell Williams, 17, were each booked Wednesday into Parish Prison on a count of armed robbery, parish prison records show.
According to the affidavit, Lee was armed with a black pistol and Coleman was armed with a shotgun.
The two victims were robbed at gunpoint while washing a vehicle at 6831 Mickens Road.
The accused robbers jumped out of a 1992 Buick Century and “rushed” the victims at the car wash, according to the affidavit.
One of the robbers pointed the shotgun in the face of one of the victims before the robbers left the scene in the Buick.
The victims followed the robbers down Mickens Road, according to the affidavit.
At one point, the robbers stopped the car, got out and told the victims to stop following them.
Deputies were able to track down the suspects in their car at Coleman’s home through a cellphone taken from one of the victims and GPS technology, according to the affidavit.
Four arrested
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. Wednesday and 2:30 p.m. Thursday, booking records show.
Those booked and the counts against them:
- Eduardo Rodriguez, 21, 20111 Buckhorn Drive, Zachary, first-offense DWI, insurance required, failure to maintain control, registration of a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended/revoked license.
- Deana Hodges, 19, 6311 Westwind Ave., first-offense DWI.
- Sean Lazarone, 19, 1166 Belgard Drive, Boyce, first-offense DWI, possession/purchasing alcohol for persons under 21 and drinking in a motor vehicle.
- Jeremy Eaton, 27, 1301 Rio Grande Drive, Benbrook, Texas, first-offense DWI, failure to maintain control, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Compiled from staff reports. To talk to a crime reporter at The Advocate, call (225) 388-0369.