20-year-old killed in car crash, second man linked to burglaries

Authorities have linked a 20-year-old man who died last Monday after the 1996 Chevrolet Camero he was driving slammed into a tree and a 22-year-old Houma man to a string of burglaries that occurred earlier that morning.

Louisiana State Police Troop C spokesman Gilbert Dardar Jr. said the dead man, Kenneth Lambert Jr., and Dallas Cissel broke into three Houma businesses earlier that morning.

The case first came to light Dec. 10 on Main Street when Lambert crashed into a tree near Louisiana Highway 660.

State police said Lambert appeared to have been traveling as fast as 80 mph when the Camero slammed into the tree. Moments earlier, the car had been stopped at a red light. When the light changed to green, witnesses said Lambert quickly accelerated, traveling approximately 500 feet before crossing the outside lane of traffic and striking the tree, according to authorities.

Lambert, who was not wearing a seat belt, is believed to have died instantly, police said.

The car caught fire and briefly burned. Bayou Cane Fire Department firefighters doused the flame and used extricating equipment to remove Lambert’s body from the vehicle.

According to authorities, the speedometer still showed the Camero’s speed at the time of the crash as 80 mph. The posted speed limit in the area is 50 mph.

Dardar said speed played a role in the crash. Results from blood tests to detect possible drug or alcohol use are pending from the Terrebonne Parish Coroner’s Office.

He said there were no skid marks evident on the road, indicating Lambert may have not attempted to hit the brake prior to hitting the tree.

Inside the Camero, which was registered to Cissel, authorities found a stolen 12-guage shotgun in the car and a large sum of money inside Lambert’s pocket, Dardar said.

In the course of their investigation, state police notified the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office to see if they were investigating any area burglaries, he said.

Troopers learned Foti Finance on West Park Avenue and Coastal Distributors and Marine Fabricators on Venture Boulevard had all reported thieves had forced their way into the businesses and stolen items.

Dardar said the shotgun in the Camero, as well as a pistol, had been reported stolen from Space Walk of Houma.

Video surveillance from Foti Finance caught the two men taking money and items, Dardar said.

Cissell was charged with three counts of simple burglary and one count of attempted burglary. His bond was set at $25,000.

Dardar said the stolen items recovered from Cissell and from inside the vehicle were returned to their owners.