Zachary officer booked on domestic abuse count
Officer booked
in domestic abuse
ZACHARY — Officers arrested a member of the Zachary Police Department on a domestic abuse count this week, Police Chief David McDavid said Friday.
Lt. Troy Eubanks, 44, is accused of slapping his estranged wife during an argument, McDavid said.
The 24-year police force veteran was booked at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison with domestic abuse battery Wednesday night and later released on bail.
Although Eubanks was on sick leave pending retirement, he is still subject to disciplinary action, including firing, McDavid said.
The police chief said he had taken Eubank’s service weapon and other police equipment, and an internal affairs investigation is pending.
Inmates moved from detention center
EPPS — The state Department of Corrections moved 73 of its 732 inmates housed at West Carroll Detention Center after a search for contraband.
Corrections spokeswoman Pam LaBorde said the department had about 60 officers on site at the detention center Thursday.
LaBorde said the prisoners were transported to Elayn Hunt Correctional Center just south of Baton Rouge.
West Carroll Parish Sheriff Jerry Philley said agents were looking for contraband and illegal items. The detention center in Epps is operated by Emerald Companies.
Emerald also operated Riverbend Correctional Center in East Carroll Parish in August when DOC officials removed more than 350 state inmates from Riverbend following a shakedown.
Last month, East Carroll Parish Sheriff Wydette Williams regained control of the management of Riverbend.
229 Phelps inmates moved to Angola
DEQUINCY — In less than a week, the inmate population at Phelps Correctional Center in DeQuincy has been cut by half.
On Monday, 232 inmates were bused to Angola. Another 229 inmates were moved to the Louisiana State Penitentiary on Wednesday, leaving Phelps’ population at 386.
The state announced in mid-September that the medium-security prison would close by Nov. 1. The move will save $2.6 million this fiscal year and $11.85 million in the next fiscal year.
Phelps Warden Robert Henderson said most of the prison staff is expected to lose their jobs, and some have already left.
Henderson said he now expects the transfer of prisoners to slow down.
Avoyelles trusty walks off work detail
MARKSVILLE — A female Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office trusty walked away from a work detail at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Marksville.
Authorities said Shonda Shanetta Warrior, 38, was wearing a red prison uniform Thursday.
Authorities believe she left the scene in a vehicle.
Warrior was serving a five-year sentence for theft charges.
Warrior is from the Lake Charles area, and officials think she might be headed to that area.
Accident likely cause of fatal Grand Isle fire
A fire that killed two people in a Grand Isle apartment complex last week may be the result of an accident.
Deputy Chief Brant Thompson of the state Fire Marshal’s Office said combustible materials, including plastic containers and a plastic tarp, were stored under a balcony at the complex.
Thompson said investigators believe the ignition source came from the balcony.
Thompson said there is no reason to believe the fire was intentionally set and investigators have ruled out natural causes, such as lightning, as well as faulty wiring.
He raised the possibility that someone smoking may have set the blaze, saying investigators have been unable to rule out “unsafe smoking practices.”
Firefighters found Willow Creek Apartments on La. 1 ablaze when they arrived about 9:30 p.m. Sept. 27.
The fire killed Timothy Foret, 46, and Belle Christin Brandl, 60
Website of stolen items sees success
OPELOUSAS — A new website launched last month by the Opelousas Police Department to help owners recover their stolen property is producing results.
Police Chief Perry Gallow said he personally returned the first item, a weed eater, to Diane Pellerin this week.
Gallow said Thursday Pellerin spotted her property on http://www.opelousaspd.com and was able to provide information that proved the missing item was hers
Fleeing suspect hit by truck on I-10
SULPHUR — State Police are investigating an accident involving a pedestrian and a large truck on Interstate 10 about 2 1/2 miles east of Vinton that claimed the life of an Alabama man.
Sgt. James Anderson said accident happened Wednesday morning while the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Task Force was conducting a traffic stop.
Anderson said the driver of the vehicle, Matthew Quentin Tatum, 27, of Montgomery, Ala., was arrested after approximately four pounds of marijuana was located inside the trunk of his vehicle.
Anderson said Tatum, who was handcuffed, fled on foot into the eastbound lanes
and was struck by an 18-wheeler.
Tatum was pronounced dead at the scene by the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office.
Diversion program for ex-deputy OK’d
MONROE — Former Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office Maj. Michael Karl Davis has been placed in a diversion program for charges in a case tied to former Sheriff Royce Toney.
Davis’s attorney, Charles Kincade, said he has not entered a guilty plea and under the process all charges would be dismissed.
Diversion programs typically require defendants to meet certain requirements and charges are dropped if they do so.
Davis was arrested and first arraigned in October 2011. He faced charges of conspiracy, computer fraud, identity theft and obstruction.
An additional indictment filed in July added charges against Toney, but not Davis.
The two were to stand trial together in September but Toney reached a deal with federal prosecutors.
Ouachita Parish Sheriff Jay Russell said Davis earlier resigned from the department.
Compiled from staff
and news services
LSUA chancellor seeks job at Drury
ALEXANDRIA — Louisiana State University at Alexandria Chancellor David Manuel is one of three finalists set to interview for the post of president at Drury University in Springfield, Mo.
Manuel and the other two candidates will make multi-day visits to the Drury campus starting this weekend. The visits will include interactions with students, staff, faculty and alumni.
Manuel has been chancellor at LSUA since March 2008. He succeeded Robert Cavanaugh.
Drury is a private liberal arts college with a total enrollment of about 4,000 students. It was founded in 1873 and has been ranked by several publications as among the best liberal arts schools in the Midwest.
Sanity motion denied for accused killer
LAKE CHARLES — A state district court judge has denied a sanity commission request from a Lake Charles man accused of killing his grandmother in 2009.
Carl Webb Jr., 35, is to stand trial Oct. 22 on a charge of first-degree murder. Prosecutors said Webb killed his grandmother, Helen Webb, 75, who died from blunt-force trauma to the head.
Judge Clayton Davis said he denied the motion because the case is two years old and because Webb has previously been through a jury trial. Webb was convicted in April of illegal weapons possession.
Defense attorney Michael McHale was assigned the case in August.
He said conversations with Webb led him to have “serious reservations” about his client’s mental health.
Spill reported from oil platform in Gulf
NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Coast Guard said an estimated 76 gallons of crude oil spilled from an oil platform operated by Apache Corp. off the coast of southeast Louisiana.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Bill Colclough said the spill was reported to authorities Tuesday.
Colclough said a sheen created by the spill has dispersed and none of the spilled oil was recoverable.
The site, designed as Grand Isle Block 43, is west of BP’s Macondo well, which spewed more than 200 million gallons of oil after an explosion aboard the BP-leased rig Deepwater Horizon in April 2010.
Rural Allen Parish to vote on fire tax
OBERLINE — Some rural Allen Parish voters will be asked on Dec. 8 to help fund improvements and upkeep of Fire Protection District 3. The Allen Parish Police Jury voted this week to place a proposed 15-year, 13-mill property tax on the ballot.
District board President Charles Earl said the tax would be used to operate, maintain and improve fire equipment and facilities.
He said the tax is expected to generate about $55,000 a year.