Franklin police: Man arrested after hit-and-run crash and damaging graves

Franklin police say they arrested a St. Martin Parish man who ran his car into graves at a local cemetery and accused him of drunk driving and leaving the scene of an earlier accident.

Martin Sonnier, 56, Bridge Street, Parks, was arrested at 6:55 p.m. Thursday on charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (second offense), 40 counts of criminal damage to property, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and hit-and-run driving. Sonnier was booked, processed and transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.

Police received the complaint about the first crash, near Main Street and Northwest Boulevard, at 5:37 p.m. Thursday.

About 6:40 p.m., the call came in about the vehicle striking graves in a cemetery near Sterling Road.

During the course of the investigation, the driver of the vehicle located in the cemetery was also identified as the suspect involved in the hit and run, Interim Police Chief Tina Thibodeaux said.