Man arrested in Tigerland stabbing
Police arrested a 19-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing another man Saturday morning at an apartment complex on Jim Taylor Drive in Tigerland after an apparent argument over a woman, a police spokesman said.
Justin Harrison, 4636 Alvin Dark Ave., was arrested Saturday afternoon and booked into Parish Prison on a count of second-degree murder, Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said.
Harrison is accused of stabbing Roger Watkins, 22, 1222 Jim Taylor Drive, sometime after 6 a.m. when the two were arguing outside the Camelot Apartments where Watkins lived, McKneely said.
Harrison had contacted Watkins via text message and asked him to meet Harrison outside Watkins’ residence, according to an affidavit of probable cause for Harrison’s arrest.
When the two met, Harrison attacked Watkins with a “knife-like cutting object” and stabbed him, the affidavit says.
Watkins staggered back to his apartment and collapsed. He was struggling to breathe as officers arrived, the affidavit says.
Watkins and his girlfriend told police that someone named Justin tried to kill Watkins, the affidavit says.
Watkins was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries.
When police brought Harrison in for questioning, he said he and Watkins had been in a feud over Watkins’ girlfriend, the affidavit says.
Harrison told officers he did not know about the stabbing incident, police said.
The homicide is the fourth this year in the Tigerland area, according to statistics compiled by The Advocate.
The first homicide occurred in March when Gunner Williamson, 19733 Deer Creek Drive, Zachary, was found unconscious in a ditch in the 1300 block of Bob Pettit Boulevard on March 8, police have said. Williamson died four days later.
The Coroner’s Office later ruled his death a homicide after discovering signs of blunt-force trauma to his head. No arrests have been made.
On April 15, Brandon Harris, 29, 854 North Acadian East Thruway, died after being shot multiple times in the 1400 block of Sharlo Avenue, police have said. No arrests have been made in the case.
Philip Boudreaux, 18, 4707 Tigerland Ave., was shot July 31 at his apartment by two men posing as pizza delivery men. Boudreaux, who died Aug. 3 after being taken off life support, was shot over “drugs and robbery,” police have said.
Dedrick Brown, 24, 4305 Chapeau Drive, Baker, and George Triplett, 22, 413 Elmer St., have been arrested in connection with that case.
“We have officers patrolling that area,” McKneely said of the Tigerland neighborhood. “We’re out there. If anybody knows anything going on, please let us know.”
Overall, city police have investigated 60 homicides this year, according to statistics compiled by The Advocate. East Baton Rouge Parish authorities have investigated 75 homicides parishwide.