Franklin police arrested a man Monday after a chainsaw attack sent another person to the hospital.
Albert Mitchell was arrested on a charge of aggravated second-degree battery.
Police answered the call to the 600 block of Eighth Street. The victim was air lifted to the hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The investigation is ongoing, Franklin police said.
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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.
Thursday, June 6
7:26 a.m. 800 block of Victor II Boulevard; Suspicious vehicle.
7:40 a.m. U.S. 90 East; Vehicle crash.
8:24 a.m. 1200 block of North Prescott Street; Alarm.
10:06 a.m. U.S. 90 East; Fire.
10:09 a.m. 3100 block of Vine Drive; Medical.
11:17 a.m. 2600 block of Maple Street; Animal complaint.
11:30 a.m. Sixth Street/Levee Road; Complaint.
11:54 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Subject removal.
1:51 p.m. 1800 block of West Garner Street; Complaint.
3:18 p.m. 700 block of David Drive; Medical.
3:51 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Traffic incident.
4:16 p.m. 200 block of Mallard Street; Suspicious person/vehicle.
5:29 p.m. Ditch Avenue; Suspicious person/vehicle.
5:42 p.m. Filmore Street; Complaint.
Friday, June 7
6:02 a.m. Spruce/Maple streets; Animal complaint.
6:40 a.m. 700 block of Freret Street; Search warrant.
6:50 a.m. 7000 block of La. 182; Alarm.
6:51 a.m. 1000 block of Second Street; Frequent patrol.
8:05 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Child custody.
10:07 a.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Complaint.
11:13 a.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Medical call.
11:28 a.m. 7000 block of La. 182; Medical call.
12:18 p.m. China King; Animal complaint.
Saturday, June 8
10:47 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Animal complaint.
11:51 a.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Medical.
1:06 p.m. 100 block of Oak Street; Stand by.
1:33 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Arrest.
2:56 p.m. 500 block of Fifth Street; Complaint.
3:48 p.m. Laurel Street; Complaint.
4:02 p.m. 200 block of Everett Street; Medical.
4:12 p.m. 100 block of Glenwood Street; Complaint.
4:25 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Domestic.
4:40 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Telephone harassment.
5 p.m. 5000 block of Railroad Avenue; Loud music.
Sunday, June 9
9:49 a.m. 900 block of First Street; Juvenile complaint.
1:30 p.m. 500 block of Railroad Avenue; Complaint.
3:45 p.m. 700 block of Belanger Street; Medical.
4:20 p.m. Florence/Duke streets; Complaint.
7:54 p.m. 300 block of Patton Street; Complaint.
8:38 p.m. 800 block of Sixth Street; Suspicious subject.
8:53 p.m. 1300 block of Federal Avenue; Alarm.
8:54 p.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Theft.
9:31 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Medical.
10:14 p.m. 600 block of Louisiana Street; Disturbance.
11:26 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Warrant.
11:29 p.m. 400 block of Sixth Street; Hit and run.
11:43 p.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Medical.
Monday, June 10
1:51 a.m. 600 block of Brashear Avenue; Disturbance
3:22 a.m. Martin Luther King Boulevard; Complaint
(Editor’s note: The charges listed here and the narratives that go with them are provided by the police agencies that made the arrests. Guilt or innocence has not been determined in court.)
Morgan City and St. Mary parish authorities reported four arrests on battery charges over the weekend, and another four bookings based on reckless operation charges.
Morgan City and Franklin police also reported arresting three people on a total of 10 theft counts.
Morgan City
Chief Chad M. Adams reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 94 calls for service over the last 72-hour reporting period and made these arrests:
--Stephen Paul Rodriguez, 39, Franklin Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:35 p.m. Saturday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.
--Cyrinthia Michelle Singleton, 48, Louisiana Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:37 p.m. Saturday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.
--Eddy Cervantes, 45, Southwest Boulevard, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:50 p.m. Sunday on a charge of aggravated battery.
--Edgar Antonio Zeldon-Vasquez, 30, Easly Street, Lucedale, Mississippi, was arrested at 11:46 p.m. on charges of hit and run, reckless operation, driving while intoxicated (first offense) and no driver’s license.
--Chad Alex, 23, Railroad Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:14 p.m. Friday on a charge of reckless operation. (Released on summons.)
--Miguel Limberg, 30, California Street, Berwick, was arrested at 3:41 p.m. Sunday on charges of reckless operation of a vehicle, no headlights, driving while intoxicated (first offense), open container in a motor vehicle and no driver’s license.
--Nicole Jones, 38, Jupiter Street, Bayou Vista, was arrested at 10:10 a.m. Friday on charges of monetary instrument abuse, theft and illegal possession of stolen things.
--Michael Alvarez, 47, Beadle Street, Morgan City, was arrested at a.m. Saturday on a charge of resisting an officer. (Released on summons.)
--Isrrael Deleon-Gomez, 21, Sixth Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 8:48 p.m. Saturday on a charge of failure to appear for arraignment (6th Ward Morgan City Court).
--Timothy Gary Paul Francis, 37, Idaho Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 11:45 p.m. Saturday on a charge of violation of protective orders.
--Elton Jerome Pinn, 40, First Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 12:28 p.m. Sunday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer.
--Melissa Frangenberg, 57, Two Sisters Court, Morgan City, was arrested 2:42 a.m. Monday on charges of improper lane usage, possession of drug paraphernalia and open container in a motor vehicle.
St. Mary
Sheriff Gary Driskell reported that over the last 72-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 91 complaints and made these arrests:
--Joenis Naidalys Pizarro-Jusina, 25, Morgan City, was arrested at 11:02 a.m. Sunday on charges of reckless operation (with accident), driver must be licensed, driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest or officer, resisting an officer (false information) and no registration vehicle, and on two Morgan City Police Department warrants alleging failure to appear.
Bail has not been set at this time.
--Daryl Sherard Peeples, 47, Birmingham, Alabama, was arrested at 7:31 p.m. Sunday on a charge of simple battery. Bail was set at $1,500.
--Christian Jeremiah Conner, 23, Franklin, was arrested at 1:52 p.m. Friday on a warrant alleging probation violation. Bail was set at $500.
--Stephanie Marie Francis, 56, Patterson, was arrested at 7:18 p.m. Friday on charges of theft and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail was set at $2,500.
--Randy Rene Prado Sr., 68, Morgan City, was arrested at 4:57 p.m. Saturday on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon and illegal use of weapons or dangerous instruments. Bail was set at $15,000.
--Kara Rose Lebrun, 19, Napoleonville, was arrested at 10:19 a.m. Monday on a charge of criminal trespass. Bail has not been set at this time.
--Devontrae Devontrell Williams, 23, Franklin, was arrested at 10:22 a.m. Monday on charges of criminal trespass, violation of protective order and resisting arrest or officer. Bail has not been set at this time.
Franklin
Chief Cedric Handy reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to 13 complaints over the weekend and made these arrests:
--Corey Coleman, 47, Fourth Avenue, Marrero, was arrested at 11:37 a.m. Friday on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Coleman was booked, processed and released on a $5,000 bond.
--Rodney Bobbitt, 53, Chauvin Lane, Franklin, was arrested at 2:59 p.m. Friday on a warrant dated May 19 alleging two counts of theft and on a warrant dated May 22 alleging six counts of theft. Bobbitt was booked, processed and released on a $12,000 bond.
--Amanda Jenkins, 37, Smith Lane, Franklin, was arrested at 4:23 p.m. Sunday on charges of theft and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jenkins was booked, processed and held on a $3,000 bond.
Chitimacha
Chief B.C. Trahan reported this arrest:
--Damoie Alexis, 45, Mississippi Street, New Iberia was arrested Saturday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of MDMA and possession of cocaine, and on two active warrants from Iberia Parish alleging failure to appear for review on a charge of criminal neglect of family. He was transported to St Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.
By 2 p.m. Saturday, teams were lining up at Municipal Auditorium for the Morgan City Open Fishing Rodeo weigh-in. The 12th annual event drew teams from across the region, casting for the best catch in five categories. The event is also a fundraiser that has resulted in more than $200,000 for donations to Nicholls State, South Louisiana Community College and other charitable causes. The contestants reported challenging conditions because of high and murky water. But the every weigh-ins nevertheless included some hefty catfish and redfish.
The Review/Bill Decker
Murals are getting big in St. Mary Parish.
The latest was introduced Friday at a ribbon-cutting in downtown Morgan City. Affixed as a vinyl applique to the north wall of the Cefalu building on Front Saturday at Greenwood, the mural is a brightly colored Atchafalaya scene as seen from the Morgan City side of the bay.
“To me, that’s life on the Atchafalaya,” said the artist, Andrea Matte.
The mural was funded by the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development and the Morgan City government.
Matte said she got involved when Morgan City’s grant writer, Hannah Roy, called in October to ask for an artwork submission as part of a competition for the grant award.
“If you don’t have a grant writer or people who are looking for that,” Mayor Lee Dragna said, “you don’t know it’s there.”
Matte returned to a scene similar to the artwork she created for the 2022 Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival poster. Shrimp boats abound under a skyline dominated by the two bay bridges.
The colors pop off the wall of the historic downtown building – orange, yellow, pink and green.
“I looked at murals in other cities,” Matte said, “and they were all very bright.”
There’s an interactive feature, too. The lower right corner has a painted railing. Stand there, and it’s the view from the Morgan City seawall over the bay.
“I love coming down here,” Matte said. “And that’s what I see and what I think of.”
Elite Graphics enlarged Matte’s artwork and put it on vinyl for application to the Cefalu building’s wall.
Dragna recalls that when people from the state judged the five mural artwork submissions, they made a quick decision when they saw Matte’s work.
On hand for the ribbon-cutting Friday were Matte; building owner Dr. William Cefalu; Dragna; City Council members Lou Tamporello, Steve Domangue, and Bonnie Leonard; Cajun Coast Director Carrie Stansbury; and St. Mary Chamber President Beth Chiasson.
Also in St. Mary, a mural with swamp and bay scenes welcomes visitors to the area near Berwick’s seawall.
On June 1, Franklin unveiled a work by noted mural artist Robert Dafford at the city’s new pocket park.
For the second time in eight days, police searched a Morgan City home and arrested a man accused of possessing multiple drugs that officers said were destined for sale.
Derrick Leonard, 46, Freret Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:34 a.m. Friday on charges of possession with intent to distribute MDMA, methamphetamine, marijuana, and buprenorphine; illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; illegal possession of a stolen firearm; possession of drug paraphernalia; violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law (drug-free zone); and illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a juvenile.
According to the police account, the Morgan City Police Department Narcotics Division began an investigation into the illicit sales of narcotics from a residence in the area of Freret Street. Leonard was identified as the suspect in the investigation.
On Friday, investigators with the Morgan City Police Department along with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on the residence.
According to reports, a search produced suspected MDMA, methamphetamine, marijuana, buprenorphine (a synthetic opioid) and a firearm along with items of paraphernalia. Investigators uncovered evidence the illicit drugs were destined for sale, police said.
During the investigation, a firearm that was located was found to be stolen. A check of Leonard’s criminal history revealed that he was in fact a convicted felon, which prohibits him from possessing a firearm.
The residence is located within a drug -free zone, and several juveniles were located on premises. Leonard was arrested and transported to the Morgan City Jail where he now awaits court proceedings.
On May 31, officers and sheriff’s deputies searched an Apple Street home and arrested a man on possession with intent charges involving heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, marijuana, hydrocodone, suboxone and alprazolam.
Police said they believe those drugs were also to be sold.
Police reports made no connection between the two arrests.
(Editor’s note: The charges listed here and the narratives that go with them are provided by the police agencies that made the arrests. Guilt or innocence has not been determined in court.)
Morgan City police reported arrests this week on drug, weapon and assault charges.
Morgan City
Chief Chad M. Adams reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 74 calls for service over the last 48-hour reporting period and made these arrests:
--Joycelyn Benjamine, 68, Mallard Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 4:41 p.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of marijuana. (Released on a summons.)
--Quindell Lamond Mitchell, 43, Short Street, Morgan City, was arrested 4:43 p.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
--Donald Fredrick Machen Jr., 65, La. 182, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:50 a.m. Friday on charges of simple assault and disturbing the peace.
--Hope Marie Martin, 47, Second Steet, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:12 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.
--Harol Demond Bias, 34, Tournament Boulevard, Berwick, was arrested at 6:31 p.m. Wednesday on charges of aggravated flight from an officer, improper lane usage, driving under suspension and failure to appear for arraignment (6th Ward Morgan City Court), and as a fugitive (16th Judicial District Court).
St. Mary
Sheriff Gary Driskell reported that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 39 complaints and made this arrest:
--Lamaris Tywan Ruffin, 24, Amelia, was arrested at 8:03 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of violation of protective orders. Ruffin was released on a $2,500 bond.
Franklin
Chief Cedric Handy reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to nine complaints over the last 48-hour reporting period and made these arrests:
--Dereke Guilbeau Jr., 27, Hamm Street, Franklin, was arrested at 7:43 p.m. Thursday on a warrant dated March 25 alleging aggravated second-degree battery and illegal carrying of weapon. Guilbeau was booked, processed and released on a $20,000 bond.
--Blainedreale Golden, 29, Willow Street, Franklin, was arrested at 2:38 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of resisting an officer by giving false information. Golden was additionally arrested on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on a charge of disturbing the peace and a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court alleging failure to appear on a charge of simple battery. Golden was booked, processed, and released on a $3,250 bond.
--Joseph Nedd, 59, Tabor Street, Franklin, was arrested at 10:13 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant dated June 2 alleging simple battery. Nedd was booked, processed and held on a $1,500 bond.
--Corey Bonvillian, 53, Julie Street, Breaux Bridge, was arrested at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday on the charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, hit and run, reckless operation of a vehicle, and possession of alcoholic beverage in motor vehicle. Bonvillian was booked, processed and released on a $1,472.50 bond.
Since the long Memorial Day weekend, the recreational catfish anglers have been starting to gather just south of the railroad bridge in front of the Mr. Charlie rig museum. It’s an annual affair around this time of year, where catfish make their late spring/early summer run in Berwick Bay.
One of my co-workers just this week made the case for his uncle’s prowess as a cat fisherman by jokingly saying, “My uncle always does good. He knows the exact time to go and loads the boat with catfish. You know when?”
I answered, “When the boats are lined up in the river by the sea wall near the Mr. Charlie?”
To which he nodded and replied, “Yep!”
Essentially, if you’ve lived in St. Mary Parish for any length of time, particularly the Tri-City area, this seasonal catfish run up and down the Atchafalaya River always comes at a good time. The kids are out of school for the summer, the weather at first light isn’t super-hot yet, and the fish are typically biting.
There are boat ramps galore in our parish that allows super easy access to the river. What’s more, catfish are one of the easier fish to catch.
When I’m checking tides and selecting special gear to fish redfish and bass, my wife regularly reminds me, “You can always count on a catfish.”
It’s her way of letting me know not to go to so much trouble when we can simply set on anchor in the river with our boat’s top up providing plenty of shade and catch pan size catfish. No doubt, wise advice.
However, getting to the nitty-gritty of fishing for catfish, it basically requires a simple drop rig, 1/0 j-hook, 1 to 4 oz. pyramid weight, and some dead shrimp or cut up mullet for bait.
Blue, flathead and channel cats are all local catfish that can be caught in the river, bayous and small tributaries that make up this region.
Depending on which species you’re targeting, there are some habitat differences that should be considered.
Channel catfish don’t tolerate higher salinity brackish water and therefore are found in fresher water than their blue catfish cousins. They also prefer small or skinnier waters, where blue catfish prefer deeper water. Flathead, like blue catfish, prefer big rivers and reservoirs.
Though most anglers prefer catching smaller blue and channel catfish in the 12- to 16-inch range, there are fishermen that like to catch the big ones.
Morgan City resident Ernie Roe is one of those guys who chases big catfish. Roe even won the 2023 Morgan City Oilfield Fishing Rodeo’s catfish category last year when he weighed in a 33.35 pound flathead catfish caught in the river near Berwick Bay.
The retired boat engineer regularly fishes for catfish in 50 feet of water and, as the summer advances, goes deeper.
Roe said, “I often fish in 70 to 90 foot depths and sometimes even 100 feet. Essentially, big catfish look for cooler temperatures in the summer where the deeper thermocline is more to their liking. They’re also lazy and like to sit on the bottom and find locations that’s more or less out of the main current. It might be a hump or hill on the bottom. What happens is the bait swims over that hump with the current and these big catfish are there waiting to ambush it.”
I fished catfish with Roe a couple weeks back on the Berwick side of the river near some riprap that provided spawning catfish plenty of holes to lay eggs in.
It didn’t take us long to catch a few good ones.
Speaking of good ones, the Morgan City Oilfield Fishing Rodeo takes place Saturday. The event is open to the public with weigh-in starting at 2 p.m. Onlookers are welcome and what they’ll see is nothing but big fish — catfish being one of them.
Fishing catfish in Berwick Bay is a late spring thing and only gets better as summer progresses. Hot spots along the river worth checking out is Fools Point not far from the Jesse Fontenot Memorial Boat Landing and Chicken Island Pass further down river.
No boat? You can fish from the wharves on both sides of Berwick Bay and also along the bank by the boat launch at Jesse Fontenot Memorial Boat Landing.
John Flores is the Morgan City Review’s outdoor writer. He can be contacted at gowiththeflo@cox.net(link sends e-mail).
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