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Three men have been charged with attempted first-degree murder following a shooting in Stephensville early Tuesday morning during which one victim was treated for gunshot wounds at a hospital, according to a St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office news release. Investigators believe robbery may have been the initial motive in the incident.

At about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday, St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a shooting in the 1300 block of East Stephensville Road in Stephensville. Upon arrival, deputies discovered a male victim who had sustained gunshot wounds and he was subsequently transported to an area hospital where he is reported to be in stable condition, the release said.

Investigators with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office discovered that a deputy who was responding to the scene noticed a dark-colored vehicle traveling toward Morgan City from the Stephensville area at a high rate of speed.

The Morgan City Police Department was notified and shortly after, Morgan City police officers spotted the vehicle as it entered Lake End Park. They initiated a traffic stop and shortly after the vehicle stopped, two occupants of the vehicle fled on foot.

A third occupant in the vehicle, Devonte Michael Breaux, was detained by Officers and a search was immediately initiated for the two that fled, the release stated.

At 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, the first of the two suspects that fled, Nathanial Washington, was apprehended by deputies when he was discovered hiding in a dumpster in the park. The second suspect, Matthew Vincent Harrigan, turned himself in to authorities with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office shortly before noon Tuesday. Investigators suspect that robbery was the initial motive.

Breaux, 19; Washington, 37; and Harrigan, 23, all of Morgan City, were each charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder.

Following their arrests, they were all booked in to the Morgan City jail. Harrigan was subsequently transported to the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center where he was booked, and Breaux and Washington will be extradited at a later date. No bail had been set as of Tuesday night.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported the following arrests:
Somoa Scott, 140 Village Lane, Amelia, was arrested on Monday at 2:32 p.m. for improper lane usage, possession of Schedule I – synthetic cannabinoids with intent to distribute, possession of Schedule II – methamphetamine with intent to distribute, violation of a controlled dangerous substance law, possession of firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of firearm or illegal carrying of a concealed weapon by person convicted of certain felonies. No bail is set.
Racquel Barber, 41, 140 Village Lane, Amelia, was arrested on Monday at 2:32 p.m. for possession of Schedule I – synthetic cannabinoids with intent to distribute, possession of Schedule II – methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of Schedule IV – carisoprodol, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of a controlled dangerous substance law and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance. No bail is set.
Joshua Smith, 21, 140 Village Lane, Amelia, was arrested on Monday at 1:30 p.m. for possession of Schedule I – marijuana. No bail is set.
William Doiron, 21, 1055 Oak Harbor Drive, Stephensville, was arrested on Monday at 5:55 p.m. for theft of goods and criminal damage to property. No bail is set.
Franklin Police Chief Sabria McGuire reported the following arrests:
Michael Charles, 52, Ninth Street, Franklin, was arrested on Monday, at 9:26 a.m., on warrants for failure to appear on the charges of driving under suspension, possession of drug paraphernalia and issuing worthless checks. Charles transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.
Lawrence Henderson, 35, Robert Street, Franklin, was arrested on Monday, at 1:08 p.m., on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of failure to return a leased movable. Henderson was released on a summons.
Travis Walter, 33, Eleventh Street, Franklin, was arrested on Monday, at 7:46 p.m., on a warrant, for the charge of theft. No bond is set
Travis Boatman, 36, of Carl C. Foulcard St., Franklin, was arrested on Monday, at 11:27 p.m., on warrants for the charges of suspended driver’s license, attempted first degree murder of an officer, aggravated flight from an officer and resisting an officer with violence. Boatman was also arrested on a warrant for the charge of driving under suspension, stop sign violation, reckless operation and resisting an officer. No bond is set.

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — When 2-year-old Artie Amick couldn’t pronounce the words “tiger” and “jaguar,” he simply did what any toddler would do — he mashed them together.
“It just melted my heart every time he did it,” said Artie’s mother, Catherine “Cat” Amick, 36, of Erie. “So that was always with me in my heart.”
Amick, armed with a degree in English from Gannon University and working in marketing at Erie Insurance, decided to take her son’s made-up word and combine it with her family’s love for the Erie Zoo to bring her son’s fictional animal to life.
That’s how “Sara Sassafras and the Tiguar” was born, a children’s board book that Amick wrote. She partnered with another Erie native and co-worker at Erie Insurance, George Lippert, who illustrated the book. It takes an imaginative look at the differences between tigers, cheetahs, leopards and jaguars and the different markings on their coats. She had created the fictional character “Sara Sassfras” years prior when she often joked with her husband, Brian, about naming one of their children that name.
But she didn’t just want to create the book and sell it in stores — she wanted to give back to these animals that gave her the idea in the first place.
“I knew right away that I wanted to get the zoo involved,” Amick said. “Artie grew up there. There was a period we would go every day. We would wake up and he’d ask to go to the zoo and every time we were there, he’d have to point out the ‘tiguars.’”
The book will directly benefit the Erie Zoo’s big cat exhibits, including the lions, tigers, lynx, leopards and jaguar. It’s most appropriate for kids ages 3 to 5.
“It was so incredibly fun to create this,” said Lippert, who does graphic design for Erie Insurance. “In a lot of ways, these big cats are so similar that all that really changes is stripes, spots and markings.”
Lippert began illustrating by sketching with pen on paper and scanning in images but he has since switched to creating illustrations digitally on a tablet and creating images that have a mixed-medium look with watercolor and ink.
About $4 from each purchase will be donated to the Erie Zoo.
“The book is so cute. Obviously, our big cat exhibits are extremely important to the zoo and we are so grateful to work with them,” said Emily Antolik, director of communications for the Erie Zoo. “What would be great is if a child were able to get the book and bring it to the zoo and actually see the animals in the book and then see them in real life at the zoo.”
Those interested in donating to the project or preordering the book can do so through the zoo’s gift shop or at www.gofundme.com/sara-sassafras-and-the-tiguar. The book will be published in June or July.
Donors have the choice of keeping their book or gifting it to a local library, school or to the Erie Zoo’s education department. An audio version of the book is also available on YouTube or at facebook.com/SaraSassBooks.
“It’s really important to me that it resonates with people and they learn something from it,” Amick said. “It gives parents another opportunity to read with kids and we’d be thrilled to be part of their bookshelf.”
—Online:
http://bit.ly/2oFQJ3M