Police: Two booked on list of drug charges after stop

Two people were arrested on numerous drug charges after Morgan City police stopped a vehicle going the wrong way on a one-way street, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release.

—Bryan R. Guilbeau, 30, of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Sunset, was arrested at 6:24 a.m. Sunday on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of MDMA with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of Vyvanse, possession of alprazolam, possession of drug paraphernalia, monetary instrument abuse and improper lane usage.

—Jamie Meche, 35, of Dynasty Lane in Opelousas, was arrested at 6:24 a.m. Sunday on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of MDMA with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of Vyvanse, possession of alprazolam, possession of drug paraphernalia and monetary instrument abuse.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle traveling the wrong way on a one-way roadway in the area of La. 182 and U.S. 90. A stop was initiated and Guilbeau was identified as the operator of the vehicle. Meche was an occupant.

Officers detected a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. Guilbeau and Meche were found to be in possession of suspected marijuana, heroin, cocaine, MDMA, Vyvanse, alprazolam and drug paraphernalia, Blair said.

The duo was also found to be in possession of over $320 of counterfeit money. Police found evidence that the majority of the illicit narcotics located was destined to be sold, Blair said. Guilbeau and Meche were jailed.

—Jessica M. Gray, 29, of Egle Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:36 p.m. Friday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of MDMA, possession of alprazolam, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of juveniles, obstruction of justice and violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone.

Blair reported responding to 113 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Debbie A. Sevant, 56, of South Grand Avenue in Los Angeles, was arrested at 4:11 a.m. Monday on a charge of possession of stolen things valued at $1,000 to $5,000.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle parked near a closed business in the early morning hours. A stop was initiated, and Sevant was identified as the operator of the vehicle, Blair said. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Mississippi. After confirming the information, Sevant was jailed.

—Damenn M. Engleton, 28, of Grandwood Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 3:36 p.m. Friday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of MDMA, possession of alprazolam, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of juveniles, obstruction of justice, violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone, no driver’s license, resisting an officer and a 16th Judicial District Court warrant for failure to appear for trial.

Patrol officers responded to the area of Orange Street in regard to a large disturbance. Officers arrived when they were directed to a white van that was leaving the area.

A stop was initiated on the vehicle in the area of Federal Avenue. Engleton, the driver, initially provided officers with a false name and didn’t have a valid driver’s license, Blair said.

Gray was also identified as a passenger in the vehicle. Engleton and Gray were found to be in possession of suspected marijuana , MDMA, alprazolam and drug paraphernalia, Blair said.

Evidence was uncovered that they attempted to conceal the evidence from detection from officers, Blair said. A small juvenile was in the vehicle at the time of the incident and the area was a drug-free zone. Gray and Engleton were jailed.

—Lacey Fabre, 25, of Wren Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 7:30 p.m. Friday on an Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant charging her with three counts of child desertion.

Fabre was located and arrested in the area of Wren Street on the warrant. Fabre was jailed.

—Lorelyn M. Gotcher, 31, of Terrebonne Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:57 a.m. Saturday on a warrant for four counts of failure to appear to pay a fine and five counts of failure to appear for review.

Gotcher was located and arrested in the area of La. 70 on city court warrants. Gotcher was jailed.

—Kimber N. Thompson, 29, of Pacific Street in Berwick, was arrested at 7:08 p.m. Saturday on a warrant charging her with failure to appear for arraignment.

Thompson was located and arrested at the Morgan City Police Department on active warrants held by the 6th Ward Morgan City Court. Thompson was jailed.

—Joseph W. Howard, 61, of Federal Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:57 p.m. Saturday on charges of DWI first offense and improper lighting.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of Federal Avenue with improper lighting. A stop was initiated, and Howard, the driver, was found to be in an intoxicated state, Blair said. Howard performed poorly on a field sobriety test and registered 0.148 grams-percent blood alcohol content on a chemical test. Howard was jailed.

—Richard Gant Jr., 36, of Forest Hurst Drive in Spring , Texas, was arrested at 8:27 p.m. Saturday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear to pay a fine. Gant was located in the area of La. 182 and arrested on a city court warrant. Gant was jailed.

—Caleb M. Daigle, 17, of Levee Road in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:45 a.m. Sunday on a charge of two counts of illegal carrying of weapons, resisting an officer and possession of tobacco under 18 years of age.

Patrol officers initiated a stop on a vehicle in the area of La. 182 due to erratic driving. The K-9 division was dispatched to the location. When the K-9 unit arrived, Daigle, who was an occupant of the vehicle, exited and began to flee on foot, Blair said.

He was caught a short time later and was in possession of two concealed firearms, Blair said. He also had tobacco on him, the chief said. Daigle was jailed.

—Linda M. Dauzat, 50, of Susan Court in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:12 a.m. Sunday on charges of DWI first offense, driving under suspension and improper lane usage.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 70 swerving from lane to lane crossing the center line. A stop was initiated, and Dauzat, the driver, was found to be in an intoxicated state, Blair said.

Dauzat performed poorly on a field sobriety test and registered 0.092 grams-percent blood alcohol content on a chemical test. Dauzat was jailed.

—Angelle R. Broussard, 25, of La. 182 in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:40 p.m. Sunday on charges of DWI first offense, driving under suspension and hit and run driving.

Patrol officers responded to a business in the area of La. 182 in regard to a crash and one of the vehicles involved fled the area.

A description of the vehicle was obtained at which time the vehicle in question was observed in the area of La. 182. A stop was initiated, and Broussard, the driver, was found to be in an intoxicated state, Blair said.

Broussard performed poorly on a field sobriety test and refused to submit to the chemical test. She also had a suspended driver’s license. Broussard was jailed.

—Leticia Charles, 49, of Mount Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 7:21 p.m. Sunday on a warrant for failure to appear for arraignment. Charles was located and arrested at the police department on a warrant. Charles was jailed.

—Luis E. Hernandez-Leon, 23, of West Syls Lane in Amelia, was arrested at 8:13 p.m. Sunday on charges of DWI first offense and improper turning.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle negotiate an improper turn in the area of Duke Street. A stop was initiated and Hernandez-Leon, the driver, was found to be in an intoxicated state, Blair said. Hernandez-Leon performed poorly on a field sobriety test and registered 0.081 grams-percent blood alcohol content on a chemical test. Hernandez-Leon was jailed.

—Crystal Thompson, 39, of Fifth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Sunday on charges of driving under suspension and disregard of traffic controls.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle fail to stop at a stop sign in the area of Federal Avenue. A stop was initiated, and Thompson, the driver, had a suspended driver’s license, Blair said. Thompson was jailed.

—Bessie T. Paul, 35, of Wisteria Street in Baton Rouge, was arrested at 2:59 a.m. Monday on a charge of possession of marijuana.

—Keyon C. Williams, 38, of La. 42 in Gonzales, was arrested at 2:59 a.m. Monday on a warrant for probation and parole.

Patrol officers initiated a stop on a vehicle in the area of La. 70 due to improper lighting. Paul and Williams were identified as occupants of the vehicle. Officers detected signs of nervousness from Paul and Williams, Blair said.

The K-9 unit was deployed on the vehicle which she indicated to the presence of narcotic odor. Officers found Paul to be in possession of suspected marijuana, Blair said. Williams had an arrest warrant for probation and parole. Paul and Williams were jailed.

Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon reported the following arrest relating to the Tri-City area:

—Joseph Gilchrist Jr., 25, of Elaine Street in Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested on charges of felony second-degree battery, felony domestic abuse battery involving strangulation and misdemeanor aggravated assault.

On Thursday, deputies responded to a Morgan City medical facility in reference to a woman who had been severely beaten early Wednesday morning, Falcon said. Detectives conducted a follow-up investigation and determined that there was probable cause to obtain warrants for Gilchrist’s arrest, Falcon said.

A uniformed patrol officer conducting a warrants check in Bayou L’Ourse located Gilchrist, who was transported to the Assumption Parish Detention Center and jailed pending a bail hearing.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported responding to 152 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:

—A juvenile male, 12, of Bayou Vista, was arrested at 12:52 p.m. Friday on two warrants for theft of goods and curfew violation. A detective of the Juvenile Services Section investigated two separate incidents of shoplifting at a store in Bayou Vista.

The incidents occurred March 17 and June 5. In the first case, the detective collected evidence that three juvenile males went into the store, took backpacks from the business, concealed items in the bags, and then left the store without paying for the goods, Hebert said.

In the second case, the detective found evidence that two juveniles stole items in the same manner. Both incidents occurred after curfew. The detective identified the juveniles involved and obtained warrants for their arrests. The juvenile came to the sheriff’s office regarding both incidents and was arrested on said warrants. He was released to a guardian, pending juvenile court proceedings.

—Jeffrey Schexnider, 38, of Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 10:02 p.m. Friday on a charge of theft of goods, a warrant for failure to appear for the charge of possession of hydrocodone, possession of Subutex and improper lane usage and a warrant for failure to appear for the charge of operating a vehicle with a suspended license and speeding 41 mph in a 20 mph zone.

Deputies responded to a business in Bayou Vista regarding a shoplifter. Deputies found evidence that Schexnider opened and concealed an item while inside of the business, Hebert said. Deputies made contact with Schexnider outside of the business.

While speaking with him, deputies located the item and also learned that Schexnider held active warrants. Schexnider was jailed with bail set at $11,500.

—Aris Granger, 30, of Joseph Street in Siracusaville, was arrested at 7:58 a.m. Saturday on charges of reckless operation and speeding.

A deputy traveling on U.S. 90, in the Morgan City area, observed a vehicle to be traveling at a high rate of speed, 85 mph in a 45 mph construction zone, Hebert said.

Before stopping the vehicle, the deputy observed the vehicle switch from the right lane to the left lane without using a turn signal. Granger was released on a summons to appear in court Oct. 23.

—Margaret Jackson, 39, of Hunting Road in Ricohoc, was arrested at 9:41 a.m. Saturday on a warrant for criminal neglect of family.

A deputy made contact with Jackson at her home. Jackson was jailed with bail set at $34,211.21.

—Emily Rodriguez, 32, of Lake Long Road in Houma, was arrested at 1:27 p.m. Saturday on charges of driving under suspension and speeding.

A deputy traveling on U.S. 90 conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling 63 mph in a 45 mph speed zone, near Delmar Road in Bayou Vista. While speaking with Rodriguez, the deputy learned that she was operating the vehicle with a suspended license, Hebert said. Rodriguez was released on a summons to appear in court Oct. 23.

—Layna Johnson, 30, of Avet Street in Dulac, was arrested at 2:06 p.m. Saturday on charges of driving under suspension and operating a vehicle with an expired license plate. A deputy traveling on U.S. 90 in Patterson observed a vehicle traveling with an expired registration sticker.

While speaking with the driver, Johnson, the deputy learned that she was also operating her vehicle with a suspended license. Johnson was released on a summons to appear in court Oct. 23.

—Leticia Charles, 49, of Mount Street in Berwick, was arrested at 3:45 a.m. Sunday on warrants for failure to appear for the charge of operating a vehicle with an expired license plate and failure to honor a written promise, failure to appear for simple criminal damage to property less than $500 and hit and run driving, and on a Morgan City Police Department warrant for no insurance.

A deputy investigating a complaint of a suspicious person at a business in Bayou Vista made contact with Charles. While speaking with Charles, the deputy learned that she held active warrants. Charles was jailed with no bail set.

—Blake Wiggins, 23, of Tupelo Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 6:51 a.m. Monday on charges of DWI first offense and reckless operation-no accident.

Deputies responded to a complaint of a reckless driver on U.S. 90 in Amelia. Deputies made contact with the driver of the vehicle, Wiggins. Upon making contact with Wiggins, the deputy smelled an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from his person.

Wiggins performed poorly on a field sobriety test, Hebert said. He registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.108 grams-percent on a breath test. Wiggins was booked into jail and then released on $3,000 bail.

—Roselyn Collins, 25, of Live Oak Street in Patterson, was arrested at 7:21 p.m. Sunday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. During booking at parish jail, a correctional officer located the active warrant for Collins. No bail is set.

—A juvenile male, 16, of Patterson, was arrested at 3:13 a.m. Monday on charges of curfew violation and no license plate light.

A deputy patrolling Bayou Vista conducted a traffic stop with a vehicle traveling on Delmar Road without a functioning license plate light. The deputy learned that the driver was 16 years old and was out after curfew, Hebert said. The juvenile was released to his guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.

—Justin Blanchard, 25, of Belmont Road in New Iberia, was arrested at 8:21 p.m. Sunday on charges of speeding 81 mph in a 70 mph zone, no driver’s license on person, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

A narcotics detective monitoring traffic on U.S. 90 in Amelia observed a vehicle traveling at 81 mph in a 70 mph zone. The detective conducted a traffic stop near Brashear Avenue and made contact with Blanchard.

Blanchard told the detective he did not have his driver’s license. While speaking with Blanchard, the detective smelled an odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. The detective located marijuana and items of drug paraphernalia. Blanchard was released on a summons to appear in court Oct. 23.

Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle reported the following arrests:

—Brian M. Racicot, 51, of Fifth Street in Patterson, was arrested at 8:08 a.m. Saturday on a charge of appearing intoxicated in public. Bail was set at $337.

—Kimber Thompson, 29, of Pacific Street in Berwick, was arrested at 10:26 a.m. Saturday on a Morgan City police warrant charging her with failure to appear for failure to signal and a St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant for failure to appear on a charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of lisdexamfetamine, possession of marijuana 14 grams or less and possession of drug paraphernalia. Thompson was transported to parish jail with bail set at $2,756.

Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported the following arrests:

—Chris Toups, 37, of First Street in Berwick, was arrested at 7:30 a.m. Saturday on charges of remaining where forbidden and disturbing the peace. Cash bail was set at $477.

—Joshua Miller, 21, of Boudreaux Street in Berwick, was arrested at 7:35 p.m. Saturday on a St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant for failure to appear on a charge of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute. Miller was awaiting bail to be set.