Four arrested in St. Mary, Assumption for theft-related crimes

(Editor’s Note: The charges listed here and the narratives that go with them are provided by the police agencies that made the arrests. Guilt or innocence has not been determined in court.)

Local law enforcement agencies made four arrests related to theft or fraud this week, including one of a Centerville man accused of possessing stolen things worth at least $5,000.
Assumption deputies also arrested a man already facing charges of bank fraud and exploitation of the infirm.

St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff's Office responded to 40 complaints made these arrests:
—Alvin Durapau Jr., 32, Centerville, was arrested at 9 a.m. Monday on charges of possession of stolen things ($5,000-$25,000), recovered property, resisting arrest or officer, disturbing the peace by language and operating a vehicle with a suspended license.
Durapau also held a Berwick Police Department warrant for kidnapping and home invasion. No bail has been set.
—Lionell Granger III, 55, Amelia, was arrested at 9:24 a.m. Monday on a charge of driving under suspension. Granger was released on a summons to appear June 28.
—Eddie Joseph Strickland, 31, New Sarpy, was arrested at 11:13 a.m. Monday on a St. Charles Parish warrant for failure to appear on a child support charge. Strickland is being held for another agency.
—Dylan Michael Boling, 25, Ricohoc, was arrested at 2:36 p.m. Monday on a charge of no insurance and on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of possession of alprazolam, speeding and operating a vehicle while license is suspended, revoked or canceled. Boling was released on a $3,500 bond.
—Michael David Landry, 32, Franklin, was arrested, at 3:20 p.m. Monday on charges of turning movements and required signals, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Landry was released on a summons to appear June 28.
—John Franklin Vandercook, 50, Amelia, was arrested at 9:04 a.m. Monday on a warrant for pornography involving juveniles and video voyeurism.
Vandercook was arrested March 1 on a charge of molestation of a juvenile, third-degree rape and sexual bat-tery. As the investigation progressed, detectives made contact with Vandercook at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center and charged him with the additional charges. No bail has been set.
—Travis James Morin, 37, Patterson, was arrested at 11:26 p.m. Monday on charges of battery of a dating partner and violation of protective orders. Bail was set at $5,000.

Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reported that over the last 24-hour period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 37 calls for service and made these arrests:
—Nathanial Jackson, 30, Greenwood Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:38 p.m. Monday on a charge of theft under $1,000.
—Joel Michael Floyd, 32, Cross Road No. 2, Morgan City, was arrested at 6:44 p.m. Monday on a charge of hit and run.

Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—Cohnor Christopher Gray, 21, La. 998, Belle Rose, was arrested Friday on charges of aggravated flight from an officer, simple criminal damage to property (felony), obstruction of justice, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, three counts of resisting an officer, reckless operation of a motor vehicle with accident, posses-sion of drug paraphernalia and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle upon a peace officer.
Gray was arrested following a high-speed pursuit beginning south of Belle Rose on Friday afternoon.
A uniformed patrol officer in the Belle Rose area observed a vehicle being driven by Gray. The deputy knew of existing felony warrants on Gray and attempted a fugitive stop.
Gray opted to engage in a pursuit beginning in Belle Rose to Donaldsonville and then back to Belle Rose. Dur-ing the pursuit, speeds exceeded 110 mph, and Gray crashed into an Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office unit in Ascension Parish.
The pursuit continued back into Assumption Parish, and Gray eventually crashed his vehicle in Belle Rose and fled on foot. He was captured a short time later.
Gray is accused of throwing suspected illegal drugs from his fleeing vehicle during his pursuit.
Gray was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center.
The original warrants for which the Sheriff’s Office had been attempting to arrest Gray centered around a Feb. 3 complaint deputies received from an infirm individual concerning a monetary instrument that had been stolen from him and used without his authorization.
Deputies commenced an investigation and identified three suspects. A 17-year-old was arrested by verified complaint March 9 on charges of bank fraud, exploitation of the infirm and felony identity theft.
On Friday, detectives obtained warrants for Gray on charges of contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, felony identity theft, exploitation of the infirm and bank fraud.
Gray was booked on these charges following Friday’s incident.
Gray remains incarcerated with a bond set at $157,000.
Detectives are attempting to arrest a 14-year-old in connection with the bank fraud case as well.

Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly said the Franklin Police Department responded to 10 complaints over the past 24 hours and made the following arrests:
—Joaquima Brown, 26, of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Franklin, was arrested at 1:37 p.m. Monday on a Louisiana State Police warrant on the charges of safety belt use, stop signs and yield signs, approach of authorized emergency vehicle, and resisting an officer. Brown was booked, processed, and released on a $3,500 bond.
—Jordan Freeman, 19, St. Joseph Lane, Franklin, was arrested at 5:25 p.m. Monday on the charges of display of temporary registration license plate and flight from an officer. Freeman was booked, processed and released on a $1,750 bond.
—Derikyona Kirt, 22, A Stret, Franklin, was arrested at 8:13 p.m. Monday on a warrant dated Aug. 23 for three counts of disturbing the peace and principal to aggravated second-degree battery. Kirt was booked, processed and released on a $3,500 bond.