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St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported the following arrests:
Bryan Businelle, 34, of 811 Fourth Street, Morgan City, was arrested Thursday at 3:07 p.m. on a warrant for the charge of failure to provide notification as a sex offender. Businelle was convicted of sexual battery in St. Mary Parish in 2002. A detective of the Sex Offender Compliance Division found that Businelle failed to meet state requirements for registration as a sex offender and obtained a warrant for his arrest. A correctional officer transported Businelle from the Ouachita Parish Correctional Center to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center on the warrant. No bail is set.
Jordyn Smith, 17, of 305 Southeast Blvd., Bayou Vista, was arrested Thursday at 8:33 p.m. on the charge of domestic abuse battery. Deputies responded to a report of a possible battery and located Smith at a business on La. 182. During the investigation, deputies found evidence that Smith and a female victim were inside a vehicle in a parking lot at a business off US 90 in Bayou Vista when Smith threw a cell phone onto the dashboard of the car causing the screen to crack. Smith then raised his hand in an aggressive manner towards the female victim. Smith was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Devon Thomas, 19, of 111 Eighth Street, Baldwin, was arrested Thursday at 11:35 p.m. on charges of possession of Schedule I marijuana and resisting an officer. A deputy responding to a report of a disturbance at a residence on Eighth Street in Baldwin observed a subject near the residence. The subject, later identified as Thomas, saw the deputy and ran away from the area. The deputy followed on foot and detained Thomas. Thomas attempted to pull away from the deputy multiple times. During the subsequent investigation, the deputy located a bag of marijuana beneath a mobile home and found evidence that it belonged to Thomas. Thomas was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. He was released on a $4,500 bond.
Courtney Gauthier, 31, of 206 Chauvin Drive, Morgan City, was arrested Friday at 10:45 p.m. on a warrant for the charge of failure to appear for contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. A deputy responding to a report of a suspicious person on Irish Bend Road made contact with Gauthier who was walking near La. 182 and Sterling Road in Franklin. The deputy located the active warrant for Gauthier’s arrest and transported him to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. Gauthier was released on a $200 bond.
Alexander Perez, 44, of 2402 N. Dog River Drive, Mobile, was arrested Friday at 11:08 p.m. on a warrant for charges of failure to appear for disturbing the peace by appearing in an intoxicated condition and criminal damage to property. A deputy working in Amelia responded to a disturbance that occurred at the business on Lake Palourde Road. While investigating the complaint, the deputy came into contact with Perez and learned of an active warrant for his arrest. While being transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking, Perez kicked the window of the patrol unit causing damage to it. No bail is set.
Wanda Singleton, 47, of 100 Lancelin St., #2, Baldwin, was arrested Saturday at 2:59 a.m. on charges of disturbing the peace by fighting and criminal damage to property.
Catherine Johnlouis, 50, of 401 Ira St., Lot 2, Jeanerette, was arrested Saturday at 2:59 a.m. on the charge of disturbing the peace by fighting.
Deputies responded to a fight at a bar on Sorrel Road in Sorrel. Through the course of the investigation, deputies developed evidence that Singleton and Johnlouis were involved in a fistic encounter and that Singleton damaged a vehicle occupied by Johnlouis. Both subjects were transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center. Singleton was released on a $1,500 bond. Johnlouis was released on a $1,000 bond.
Lance Haycock Jr., 24, of 607 Tunica St., Charenton, LA was arrested Sunday at 6:27 p.m. on charges of careless operation of a motor vehicle with an accident, unsafe vehicle conditions, no driver’s license, no vehicle insurance, warrant for failure to appear for speeding, no driver’s license on person, and open container, warrant for failure to appear for taking alligators during closed season and warrant for simple assault.
A deputy working the Charenton area responded to a single vehicle crash on Chitimacha Trail. Contact was made with Haycock who stated he lost control of his vehicle while traveling. Through further investigation, the deputy found that Haycock was operating his vehicle without a driver’s license and insurance. Haycock was released on a summons. The deputy later located active warrants for Haycock. The deputy contacted Chitimacha Tribal Police Department for assistance in locating him. The deputy transported Haycock from the Chitimacha Tribal Police Department to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. Haycock was released on a $4,250 bond.
Jamie Gomez-Ramos, 42, of 2019 Lake Palourde Road, Amelia, was arrested Sunday at 10:45 p.m. on the charge of sexual battery misdemeanor. A deputy responded to a business in Amelia in reference to a possible sexual battery. While speaking with the subjects involved, the deputy found evidence that Gomez-Ramos grabbed a female victim. Gomez-Ramos was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Javantre Jackson, 22, of 2135 Becnel St., Franklin, was arrested Monday at 2:50 a.m. on a Franklin Police Department warrant for the charge of aggravated second degree battery. While responding to a trespasser complaint on Hebert Street, a deputy made contact with Jackson. The deputy learned of Jackson’s active warrant. Jackson was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Franklin Police Chief Sabria McGuire reported the arrest of Charlesha Henry, 21, of Robertson Street, Franklin, Sunday at 3:39 p.m. on a warrant charging her with disturbing the peace. She was released on $500 bond.
John Felton Jr., 52, of Hamilton Street, Franklin, was arrested on Saturday at 6:16 PM, p.m. on charges of simple battery and possession of drug paraphernalia second offense. Officers responded to the area of Robertson Street in reference to a disturbance. Upon arrival, it was learned that Felton allegedly struck the victim leaving markings on the victim. Upon searching Felton, officers allegedly located the paraphernalia on his person. Felton was booked, processed, and held with no bond set at the time of press release.

The Patterson Volunteer Fire Department president was arrested Friday and accused of misappropriating $800 from the fire department’s checking account in 2015.

The fire department president, Ryan Aucoin , says the incident occurred when he accidentally withdrew funds from the department’s account while intending to use his personal credit card.

Aucoin , 26, of Main Street in Patterson, was arrested at 9:30 a.m. Friday on a charge of misappropriation of public funds. Aucoin is community development and affairs director for the city of Patterson.

Aucoin also serves as president of the Patterson Volunteer Fire Department, and the alleged misappropriation of funds took place within his capacity as fire department president.

Police Chief Patrick LaSalle said the arrest was made after an investigation “brought about by a direct letter” from 16th Judicial District Attorney Bo Duhe instructing LaSalle to investigate the matter. Duhe confirmed Monday afternoon that he did send the letter to LaSalle instructing him to investigate the matter based on a finding in the city's annual audit.

Aucoin told The Daily Review Monday that incident took place in 2015 and that the transactions took place after he confused a “personal credit card that’s very similar looking to the Patterson card for the fire department,” he said.

“The minute it was brought to my attention, I left work. I went on my lunch break that day and went and got the money, and I returned the funds,” Aucoin said.

Aucoin called the incident “a huge accident,” and said he never had any intent to misappropriate any funds.

Fire Chief Scott Domingue said Aucoin was department president in October 2015 when Domingue was elected treasurer of the department.

Domingue noticed in December 2016 that there were some withdrawals from Aucoin’s fire department debit card for the department’s checking account, he said.

Domingue said he brought the matter to the attention of Aucoin, who told Domingue that he made a withdrawal from the department’s checking account by error at Patterson State Bank, he said. Domingue also told Mayor Rodney Grogan what happened.

Aucoin thought he was using his personal credit card, which had the same PIN number as his fire department debit card, Domingue said.

The story made sense to Domingue, he said. The same day that Domingue notified Aucoin of the withdrawals, Aucoin brought Domingue a check for $800, and the check was deposited into the fire department’s account, Domingue said.

In January 2016, the fire department membership voted unanimously to have Aucoin resign as president and relinquish his debit card and become part of the general membership, Domingue said.

“We took care of it as a membership at the fire department, which we were told to do,” Domingue said.

Domingue took over as president of the fire department after Aucoin stepped down until Domingue became fire chief in August 2016.

In August 2016, the fire department membership unanimously elected Aucoin to serve as fire department president again, Domingue said.

Domingue said the fire department membership continues to stand behind Aucoin.

About two weeks ago, Domingue was contacted by the police department to investigate the alleged transactions, he said. Domingue told investigators what had happened and brought documentation, he said.

In the city’s annual audit report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016, officials discovered an officer of the volunteer fire department made unauthorized cash withdrawals in January 2016 totaling $800 from a volunteer fire department bank account that was determined not to be for a valid governmental or organizational purpose.

The officer wasn’t named in the report.

The individual stepped down as an officer of the volunteer fire department in January 2016 and from that point had no access to the volunteer fire department’s bank accounts, the report stated.

In August 2016, the membership of the volunteer fire department re-appointed the individual to an officer position. At all times, the individual remained a full-time employee of the city, the audit said.

Aucoin was booked into jail Friday and later released on $1,500 bail.

By ROGER EMILE STOUFF
In 2016, Toney Wade and other volunteers with the statewide Cruelty Investigation Task Force have rescued 219 neglected and/or abused horses in St. Mary Parish alone.
Just last Saturday, a horse now nicknamed “Red” was rescued from Bray Lane off Irish Bend Road.
“The horse is in our custody,” Wade said. “We’re trying to get the word out that this is happening, right here in St. Mary Parish.”
Wade said of the 219 horses rescued last year, all had to receive veterinary care. Red will probably need $1,000 or more in medical care.
Red will undergo a full physical exam, bloodwork, a check for anemia and he will be microchipped. “He does have some cuts and abrasions, and some rain rot,” a condition that develops on the coat of a horse, a sort of mold, that can become a serious condition. He’ll go through months of rehabilitation to return him to good health.
Red took the attention in stride Wednesday, intent on the grass along the street. He has a bright pink abrasion on his muzzle, a rope burn on his leg, and the first signs of the rain rot.
Most striking are the ribs showing through what was once likely a healthy, beautiful red code for which he was nicknamed, and the unsettling jut of his bones and sunken abdomen.
But it was clear that Red welcomed the kindess, the pats on his shoulder, the caresses on his neck by volunteers and astounded, nearly horrified, visitors who stopped by.
Red’s prognosis is good. “I think he will survive,” Wade said. “Given another three days, with the rate of dehydration, looking at how far his temples are sunk in, the color of the gums, he’s severely dehydrated. And he’s had water for the last several days now. If left in the situation he was in, three days and he’d have been dead.”
He credits the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office for responding to the complaint that resulted in the arrest of Gene Wells Jr., 48, of 838 Irish Bend Road, Franklin. He was released on $3,000 bond.
The sheriff’s office also posted photos and arrest details on their Facebook page.
“There are a lot of people who donate to bigger organizations that don’t help you,” Wade said. “We’re a state-licensed non-profit. We’re here, we’re the boots on the ground, we’re doing this…most people say, when they finally get in touch with us, ‘Man, we didn’t even know ya’ll existed, we didn’t even know ya’ll were here.’ We cover the whole state. We have seven horses and three dogs in our custody right now.”
The task force holds fundraisers during the year but it’s never enough to cover a $7,000 a year budget when expenses range up to $24,000. “We’re all paying for our own cases,” Wade said. “And it gets rough. We all work separate jobs.”
Public funds are practically nonexistent.
An account has been opened at All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in New Iberia that will accept donations for Red’s care, by calling 337-365-9060. “All people have to do is call and say they want to donate to Red,” Wade said. “Some people can also donate directly to the vet. There’s three investigators that cover the entire state of Louisiana, and none of us get paid a penny for it.”
Red is loaded into a horse trailer and makes the trip to New Iberia for treatment. But for Toney Wade and his dedicated volunteers, the next case, the next horse, the next dog or any other animal, is but a phone call away.
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General donations to the task force can be made on the task force Facebook page’s donate link at:
https://www.facebook.com/LaCITF/?hc_ref=ARRO6WkIjoYcdY436Mee3MtiJ8fwWmuG...