Deadline nearing for recovery grant program
February 6, 2007Betty Gros
February 8, 2007
Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s detectives arrested a Napoleonville man Jan. 30 for burglarizing vehicles in a church parking lot while the owners attended Mass, a department spokesman said.
Douglas Bougere, 46, of 113 Feritta Lane, reportedly broke into the vehicles outside of St. Charles Borromeo Church on Hwy. 308, just south of Thibodaux, said LPSO Public Information Officer Larry Weidel.
According to detectives, while parishioners attended Mass at the church on Jan. 14 and Jan. 28, Bougere broke the windows of three vehicles and stole purses from inside. In each case, Weidel said the burglar took credit cards and the owner’s identification.
Detectives Sgt. D.L. Mosley, Steven Pitts and Robert “Bubba” Trotti were assigned to the case, Weidel said. Operating on the assumption that the thief would try to quickly use the credit cards, the trio alerted major storeowners the cards were in circulation, he said.
In short time, the burglars purchased items using the cards at stores in Houma, Weidel said. With the video evidence collected at the stores, teamed with information from their investigation, detectives arrested Bougere.
He was charged with three counts of simple burglary of a vehicle, three counts of simple criminal damage to property, possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of an access card.
His brother, Patrick Bougere, 32, of 2658 Daniel Turner Trailer Park, Houma, was also caught on video using the stolen cards, Weidel said.
Weidel said when detectives served a search warrant at his residence and on Douglas Bougere’s vehicle, approximately $3,500 worth of items purchased with stolen credit cards was recovered. He said detectives also found five purses, three of which belonged to the St. Charles Borromeo Church victims.
Weidel said Patrick Bougere is being held in Terrebonne Parish and Douglas Bougere is at the Lafourche Parish Detention Center. The older brother’s bond was set at $30,000 by state District Judge John LeBlanc.
