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Three people were arrested in Morgan City after police stopped a vehicle swerving on Victor II Boulevard. Two of the suspects were in possession of methamphetamine, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release.
—Kentrell F. Diggs, 26, of Marksville, was arrested at 7:17 p.m. Tuesday on charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, obstruction of justice by tampering with evidence, improper lane usage and possession of stolen property.
—Aaron J. Benson, 46, of Lockport, was arrested at 7:17 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—Lawrence A. Garrett, 22, of Railroad Alley in Gibson, was arrested at 7:17 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with three counts of failure to pay fines.
An officer on Victor II Boulevard observed a vehicle swerving in and out the lane of travel. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver was identified as Diggs. The officer could smell an odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle, Blair said.
The passengers in the vehicle were identified as Garrett and Benson. They were asked to exit the vehicle. During the investigation, Diggs was found in possession of several baggies of suspected methamphetamine that he was trying to conceal from officers, Blair said.
Diggs was also in possession of a stolen cell phone. Benson was found with several baggies of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Garrett had city court warrants for his arrest. All three suspects were jailed.
Blair reported that officers responded to 44 calls and reported the following arrests:
—Heath A. Loupe Jr., 21, of Rose Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:55 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, synthetic marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
An officer patrolling the area of Sixth Street observed an individual walking in the area. The officer made contact with the individual identified as Loupe, who gave the officer consent to search him, Blair said.
The officer located suspected methamphetamine, synthetic marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Loupe’s possession. Loupe was jailed.
—Larry L. Griffin, 41, of Hickory Street in Patterson, was arrested at 9:07 a.m. Tuesday on charges of improper lane usage, no turn signal and possession of marijuana.
An officer in the area of La. 182 observed a vehicle fail to use its turn signal, while turning onto Grizzaffii Street. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver, Griffin, was found in possession of suspected marijuana, Blair said. Griffin was jailed.
—Perry J. Toups Jr., 27, of Sixth Street in Berwick, was arrested at 9:36 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with theft less than $1,000.
Toups was arrested at the police department on a warrant. The warrant stems from a September 2018 incident during which Toups allegedly was making unauthorized charges to a business. Toups was jailed.
—John A. Henry, 39, of Vivian Street in Amelia, was arrested at 10:50 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with failure to pay probation fees.
Henry was transported from the Berwick Police Department to the Morgan City Police Department on a city court warrant.
—Michael W. Martin, 35, of Teche Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 11 a.m. Tuesday on warrants charging him with criminal damage to property $1,000-$5,000, theft less than $1,000 and three counts of failure to pay fines.
Martin was transported from St. Mary Parish jail to the Morgan City Police Department on city court warrants. The warrants stem from a March 2018 incident during which Martin allegedly damaged a vehicle and stole items from inside the vehicle. Martin was jailed.
—Joseph A. Cagnolatti, 23, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:33 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with direct contempt of court.
Cagnolatti was arrested in city court, transported to the police department and jailed.
—Kyarius Williams, 18, of Freret Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:24 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging her with probation violation.
Williams was arrested in city court for violating the terms of her probation, Blair said. Williams was jailed.
—Leticia R. Charles, 51, of Mike Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 7 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging her with failure to pay fines.
Charles was arrested at the police department on a city court warrant. Charles was jailed.
—David J. Stevens Jr., 45, of Wilson Street in Berwick, was arrested at 3:50 p.m. Tuesday on charges of speeding, expired driver’s license and possession of methamphetamine.
An officer in the area of La. 182 near Seventh Street observed a vehicle travelling at a rate higher than the posted speed limit. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver, Stevens, had an expired driver’s license, Blair said.
During the traffic stop, suspected methamphetamine was found inside Stevens’ vehicle, Blair said. Stevens was jailed.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith reported that deputies responded to 35 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:
—Misty Gaudet, 31, of Fourth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:11 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of driving under suspension.
A deputy conducting a crash investigation made contact with Gaudet and was advised by dispatch that Gaudet’s driver’s license was suspended. Gaudet was released on a summons to appear in court April 4.
—Priscilla Lovell, 42, of Wedell Street in Patterson, was arrested at 3:16 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of disturbing the peace-offensive words.
A deputy conducting speed enforcement on U.S. 90 in Amelia observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Lovell.
During the stop, the deputy was advised by dispatch of an active warrant for Lovell. Lovell was transported to St. Mary Parish jail and then released on a completed sentence.
—Anthony Ackman, 37, of Darwin Road in Centerville, was arrested at 7:46 p.m. Tuesday on charges of driving under suspension and no headlights.
A deputy patrolling Bayou Vista observed a vehicle pull into the parking lot of a business without an operable headlight. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Ackman.
Through the stop, the deputy was advised by dispatch that Ackman’s driver’s license was suspended, Smith said. Ackman was released on a summons to appear in court April 4.
—Derrick Lee Jr., 44, of Riverview Drive in St. Rose, was arrested at 7:46 p.m. Tuesday on charges of driving under suspension, possession of schedule I drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A deputy patrolling Bayou Vista observed a vehicle traveling west on U.S. 90 following too closely to another vehicle. The vehicle matched the description of a reckless driver complaint.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Lee. During the stop, the deputy smelled a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. The deputy was advised that Lee’s driver’s license was suspended. The deputy also found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Lee’s possession, Smith said. Lee was transported to parish jail with bail set at $2,500.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard reported no arrests.
Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported no arrests.
A Morgan City High School student was arrested Wednesday after police learned that the student allegedly made a terroristic threat. No students were in any danger at the time, and classes resumed as normal, a police news release said.
At about 10:23 a.m. Wednesday, the Morgan City Police Department received information from the Morgan City High School of a 15-year-old student making a terroristic threat.
When officers arrived, the student had been detained by school personnel. The student was arrested, charged with terrorizing and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking.
The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the police department at 985-380-4605.
Tuesday, Jan. 29
5:57 a.m. 300 block of Wren Street; Disturbance.
7:30 a.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Medical.
7:30 a.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Arrest.
8:17 a.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
8:30 a.m. 1600 block of Federal Avenue; Alarm.
9:36 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Arrest.
9:38 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.
9:49 a.m. 700 block of Brashear Avenue; Complaint.
10:02 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Arrest.
10:58 a.m. Fifth Street; Complaint.
10:58 a.m. 300 block of Bowman Street; Arrest.
10:59 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Arrest.
11:50 a.m. 300 block of South Railroad Avenue; Complaint.
12:12 p.m. 900 block of Florence Street; Medical.
12:20 p.m. Railroad Avenue and Fifth Street; Complaint.
2:25 p.m. 400 block of Railroad Avenue; Medical.
2:57 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Medical.
3:21 p.m. Brashear Avenue and Fourth Street; Arrest.
3:30 p.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Alarm.
3:41 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Complaint.
3:45 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Hit and run.
4:13 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Complaint.
4:53 p.m. Second Street and Railroad Avenue; Suspicious subject.
8:47 p.m. 1100 block of Sixth Street; Warrants.
9:54 p.m. 1500 block of Walnut Drive; Complaint.
Wednesday, Jan. 30
12:05 a.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
1:12 a.m. 7400 block of La. 182 East; Stalled vehicle.
1:51 a.m. 7700 block of La. 182 East; Welfare concern.
2:57 a.m. 1600 block of Victor II Boulevard; Domestic disturbance.
3:15 a.m. 1200 block of Sixth Street; Complaint.
BATON ROUGE (AP) — A young man from Louisiana has confessed to killing his parents, his girlfriend, and two of her family members who had taken him in after he was kicked out of his house, authorities said Tuesday.
Dakota Theriot, 21, told authorities he used a gun he stole from his father, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said at a news conference. He said while Theriot was cooperating and had provided authorities with a lot of information about how the killings unfolded, they still haven’t determined exactly why the killings happened.
Authorities have said Theriot shot and killed three people — Summer Ernest, 20, his girlfriend; and Ernest’s brother and father — in Livingston Parish, then drove her father’s pickup truck to Ascension Parish, where he shot his parents. He then drove to his grandmother’s house in Warsaw, Virginia, where he was arrested on Sunday morning, Ard and Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said.
Theriot is due in court on Friday in Virginia for an extradition hearing and will eventually be sent back to Louisiana to face multiple murder charges. Detectives from Louisiana went to Virginia and questioned him, the sheriffs said.
In addition to Summer Ernest, the victims have been identified as Billy Ernest, 43; Tanner Ernest, 17; and Theriot’s parents, Keith Theriot and Elizabeth Theriot, both 50.
Summer Ernest and Dakota Theriot had only been dating for a couple of weeks, and he was living with her family for about the same amount of time after his parents kicked him out, Ard said.
The sheriff said that just a short time before the shootings, Theriot tagged along with Billy Ernest as he drove his wife to work early Saturday morning.
Summer Ernest and her father and brother were each shot once in the head, Ard said. Autopsies on Theriot’s parents were to be done Tuesday, Webre said.
Keith Theriot survived the shooting long enough to call 911, and when deputies arrived he told them just before he died that his son had shot him, the authorities said.
Two children were in the Ernest home in Livingston Parish — a 7-year-old and a 1-year-old — Ard said. They went to a neighbor’s house.
Theriot’s grandmother had checked into a hotel Saturday night in Virginia, fearing he might show up there, Richmond County Sheriff Stephan B. Smith said in a phone interview. The woman asked authorities to check her house Sunday morning to ensure it was safe before she returned.
While deputies were there, Smith said, Theriot drove up with a firearm pointed out the window of a pickup. A sheriff’s statement said deputies sought cover and challenged Theriot, who then dropped the gun and was arrested without incident. Smith said the pickup Theriot drove apparently was the one taken in Louisiana.
Authorities have said Theriot had some run-ins with law enforcement previously in other parishes but described those as misdemeanor-type incidents that did not include violence.
But people who lived with Keith and Elizabeth Theriot said their son had struggled with drugs over the years and had violent outbursts, and the relationship between him and Summer Ernest had raised red flags with her family and friends. If Theriot doesn’t fight extradition, he could be back in Louisiana by Friday or Saturday, said Webre, who added that he would not oppose the death penalty.
“We know what happened here,” Webre said. “He killed five people. So, this is a monster.”
The Tri-City area’s brush with the deep freeze didn’t reach freezing and wasn’t especially deep.
The National Weather Service reported a Wednesday morning low of 37 degrees about dawn at Patterson’s Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport.
Forecasts over the last week called for lows as low as 29 degrees and even hinted at the possibility of sleet or snow.
No precipitation has been measured at the airport since 6 a.m. Tuesday.
After the mercury tops 50 degrees Wednesday, the low Thursday is forecast to be 41 degrees.
Rain is expected to return Thursday accompanied by warmer weather. Highs will be in the 60s and lows in the 50s. The rain is forecast to last until at least Saturday.
In the Midwest, the deadly arctic cold wave forced widespread closure of schools, offices and prompting the U.S. Postal Service to take the rare step of suspending mail delivery to a wide swath of the region because of the cold.
Many normal activities shut down and residents huddled inside as the National Weather Service forecast plunging temperatures from one of the coldest air masses in years. The bitter cold is the result of a split in the polar vortex that allowed temperatures to plunge much further south than normal.
Officials throughout the region were focused on protecting vulnerable people from the cold, including the homeless, seniors and those living in substandard housing.
Some buses were turned into mobile warming shelters to encourage the homeless to come off the streets in Chicago, where the forecast for Wednesday night called for temperatures as low as minus 21 degrees (negative 29 degrees Celsius), with wind chills to minus 40 (negative 40 degrees Celsius).
Major Chicago attractions including the Lincoln Park Zoo, Art Institute and Field Museum weren’t opening Wednesday. Governors in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan declared emergencies as the worst of the cold threatened on Wednesday.
A wind chill of minus 25 (negative 32 degrees Celsius) can freeze skin within 15 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.
In Michigan, homeless shelters in Lansing were becoming “overloaded,” Mayor Andy Schor said. They also were filling up in Detroit.
“People don’t want to be out there right now,” said Brennan Ellis, 53, who is staying at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
Detroit’s outlook was for Wednesday overnight lows around minus 12 (negative 24 degrees Celsius), with wind chills dropping to minus 35 (negative 37 degrees Celsius).
At least four deaths were linked to the weather system Tuesday, including a man struck and killed by a snow plow in the Chicago area, a young couple whose SUV struck another on a snowy road in northern Indiana and a Milwaukee man found frozen to death in a garage.
A popular saying goes: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat ...” will stop the mail from being delivered. But extreme cold will on Wednesday.
The U.S. Postal Service said it would suspend mail delivery on Wednesday in parts or all of several Midwest states including North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.
Hawaii native Charles Henry, 54, was staying at a shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota, and said he was grateful to have a place to stay out of the cold.
“That wind chill out there is not even a joke,” he said. “I feel sorry for anybody that has to stay outside.”
Chicago was turning five buses into makeshift warming centers moving around the city, some with nurses aboard, to encourage the homeless to come in from the cold.
“We’re bringing the warming shelters to them, so they can stay near all of their stuff and still warm up,” said Cristina Villarreal, spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Family and Support Services.
Shelters, churches and city departments in Detroit worked together to help get vulnerable people out of the cold, offering the message to those who refused help that “you’re going to freeze or lose a limb,” said Terra DeFoe, a senior adviser to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
Hundreds of public schools and several large universities from North Dakota to Pennsylvania canceled classes Tuesday or planned to do so Wednesday.
American Indian tribes in the Upper Midwest were doing what they could to help members in need with heating supplies. The extreme cold was “a scary situation,” because much of the housing is of poor quality, said Chris Fairbanks, energy assistance program manager for the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota.
The cold weather was even affecting beer deliveries, with a pair of western Wisconsin distributors saying they would delay or suspend shipments for fear that beer would freeze in their trucks.
But it wasn’t stopping one of America’s most formidable endurance tests, however — the three-day Arrowhead 135 was going on as scheduled in northeastern Minnesota. Competitors can cover the race route by bicycle, cross-country skis or just running.
The cold is attributed to a sudden warming far above the North Pole. A blast of warm air from misplaced Moroccan heat last month made the normally super chilly air temperatures above the North Pole rapidly increase. That split the polar vortex into pieces, which then started to wander, said Judah Cohen, a winter storm expert for Atmospheric Environmental Research.
One of those polar vortex pieces is responsible for the subzero temperatures across the Midwest this week.
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May 11, 1928- January 29, 2019
Pearl Marie McDaniel Hebert, 90, a life-long resident of Amelia, passed away Tuesday, January 29, 2019.
Pearl was born May 11, 1928, in Midland, Louisiana, the daughter of Jerozime McDaniel and Ledia Lacombe McDaniel.
Pearl was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. She was a member of St. Andrew Catholic Church in Amelia. After the passing of her husband, Pearl received her pride and joy, Lucky; that dog quickly became her best friend and never left her side.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by three sons, Kenneth Hebert of Morgan City, William Hebert of Broussard, and Edwin Hebert and wife Becky of Lafayette; one daughter, Yvonne Morrison of Morgan City; 14 grandchildren; 25 great- grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Pearl was preceded in death by her parents, Jerozime and Ledia McDaniel; husband, B.P. Hebert; daughter, Erina Mae Thompson; and two brothers, Wilbert McDaniel and Wilfred McDaniel.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, January 31, 2019, at Twin City Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the time of services. After the services, Pearl will be laid to rest in St. Andrew Cemetery in Amelia.
December 2, 1938- January 28, 2019
Willard David Daisy, 80, a resident of Morgan City, passed away Monday, January 28, 2019, at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center.
Willard was born December 2, 1938, the son of Willard Graham Daisy and Sylvania Sons Franks.
Willard was a simple man who’s passion was his job of tug boating, his family, and commercial fishing. He was a giving man who would give the shirt off his back for anyone.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by one son, Malcolm Daisy of Morgan City; one daughter, Belinda Daisy of Prattville, Alabama; five grandchildren, Alisia Rhodes, Jennifer Willison, Samantha Barnes, Kristen Daisy and David Joseph Daisy; eight great-grandchildren, Lillian, Evelyn, Raymond III, William V, Lola, Piper, Jada and Angel; niece, Phyllis Gene Chapman Casey; and nephew, Phillip Donati.
Willard was preceded in death by four brothers, Johny Daisy, Albert Daisy, Julius Daisy and Ervin Daisy; two sisters, Lillian D. Randell and Chloe D. Donati; half-brother, Morris Franks; and half-sister, Shelia Franks.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. January 31, 2019 at Twin City Funeral Home with Monsignor Courville officiating. A visitation will be held Thursday, January 31, 2019 at Twin City Funeral Home from 9 a.m. until the time of services. After services, Willard will be laid to rest in Morgan City Cemetery.
December 10, 1932 - January 20, 2019
Charles Edwin Peavy, (Conner) born in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 10, 1932, passed from this earth on January 20, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Clara, and his son Charles, Jr. He is survived by two daughters, Debra and her husband Stephen Wallace, and Bridget and her husband Mark Larosa. His enduring legacy includes grandchildren, Mason, Lindsay, Jeffrey, Justin, Ashley, Sam, Tiffany, Danielle, Kurt, Rachel, Scarlett and Charles III, and 20 great-grandchildren.
Charles “Charlie” to everyone who knew him, grew up and graduated high school in Morgan City Louisiana, before playing on a nationally ranked football team at Tulane. He took a break from his schooling to serve his country in the military before graduating with a degree in accounting from Southeastern Louisiana University. After marrying Clara Mason in Woodville, Mississippi, and starting a family, he went on to found a half dozen successful businesses in five different states, including Encore Draperies and Interiors here in Austin.
Charlie was a dynamic, bigger than life character and entrepreneur who was also a generous man, always willing to help anyone who needed shelter, financial support, or just a helping hand. His humor and just the energy of his presence made him truly memorable to all who crossed his path.
Now Charlie gets to rest and rejoin his Clara as he is laid to rest at the Haynie Flat Cemetery in Spicewood, Texas, on Saturday, February 2, 2019. The funeral service which will precede his final interment will be at Cook Walden at Forest Oaks in South Austin, Saturday, February 2, 2019, at 1 p.m. There will be a viewing at the same location on Friday, February 1, 2019, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
FISH DINNERS
Sold by Zion Chapel AME Church, 1511 Cherry St., Patterson, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2. Menu: fried fish, sweet peas, potato salad, bread and dessert. Donation $7. To order day of call 985-395-4824.
FEEDING PROGRAM
For needy and senior citizens at noon Saturday, Feb. 2, at Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, 113 Federal Ave., Morgan City. For info call 985-384-6800.
LAP SWIM
Begins Feb. 5 at the Vo-tech Marine campus pool. Open 5-6:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays. Cost $40 per month for 18 years and older. For info call 985-518-2818.
BLACK HISTORY
Program at New Salem Baptist Church, 1412 Cherry St., Patterson, 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 17. Speaker Travis Darnell, St. Luke Baptist Church. Everyone invited.
MISSION MINISTRY
Program at New Salem Baptist Church, 1412 Cherry St., Patterson, 10 a.m. Feb. 23. Speaker Debra Calhoun.
TREASURE SALE
Fundraiser sponsored by Berwick Historical Society 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at Berwick Civic Complex. Booth space available, $20. Applications available at Berwick Town Hall, Berwick Museum or email lhenry@townofberwick.org.
Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874
Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255