Crime Blotter: Reported offenses in the Tri-parishes

Not a happy ‘Easter’ for Cut Off man

Easter wasn’t a festive time for one alleged suspect bearing the holiday’s name.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office authorities said that Randy Easter, 49, of 198 Orange Street, Cut Off, was arrested Friday in Las Vegas after a Crime Stoppers tip revealed his location.

LPSO spokesman Brennan Matherne said a tip given through Bayou Region Crime Stoppers last Monday said that Easter was seen in Sin City.

Lafourche deputies then contacted officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to start an investigation.

Las Vegas authorities confirmed Easter’s location and took him into custody.

Easter is awaiting extradition to Louisiana.

He was scheduled to appear for a pre-trial hearing on March 18 on charges of DWI (4th offense) and communicating false information of planned arson.

1 dead in St. Mary shooting

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation of a Saturday morning shooting that left one person dead and another recovering in a New Orleans hospital.

The shooting occurred shortly before 8:28 a.m., at the Plantation Inn at 815 La. Hwy 90 East in Bayou Vista.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert said his detectives determined that while inside a motel room, Vernon Singleton, 36, of Morgan City, produced a handgun and shot a female victim in the face while she was lying next to him in bed. Authorities said Singleton then turned the gun on himself, inflicting a single fatal gunshot wound to the head.

Detectives said the female victim was able to leave the room and seek help at the front desk of the hotel.

The victim was later transported to a hospital in New Orleans for treatment. Currently, she is in stable condition.

The sheriff’s office has not released the identity of the female.

However, a relative of the Singleton family has identified her as Natesha Legnon.

2 inmates charged in fire at jail

Two inmates in the Lafourche Parish Detention Center are facing additional charges after authorities said they are responsible for incidents that led to a fire at the facility.

Skylleur Hayes, 21 and Jovonta Johnson, 20, both of Thibodaux, are facing charges after the fire.

At about 7:15 p.m. on that day, inmates alerted correctional officers at the jail about a fire on one of the cell blocks.

After moving inmates to another area of the jail, authorities learned that the fire was due to a smoldering blanket.

Authorities extinguished the flame and removed the blanket from the facility.

Because of smoke in the facility, LPSO spokesman Brennan Matherne said authorities were evacuated to the recreational grounds outside of the jail. LPSO deputies were assisted by the Thibodaux Police Department in supervision of the inmates.

At approximately 8:30 p.m., the building was deemed safe for inmates to return.

No damage was done to the facility.

The next day, Matherne said authorities investigated the incident. During investigation, authorities learned that Johnson had beaten another inmate the day prior to the fire.

The same inmate was approached by Hayes the day of the fire and Hayes told the immate to cover the security camera with a blanket to avoid getting another beating.

After the victim placed the blanket on the camera, Matherne said Hayes set it ablaze. Matherne said authorities believe he started the fire by sticking a metal object surrounded by toilet paper into a power receptacle.

Hayes, who was serving a 30-day sentence for contempt of court, is now being charged with aggravated arson and simple assault.

Johnson was serving a 90-day sentence for two counts of contempt of court, disturbing the peace and resisting an officer. He is also held and is awaiting a sentence for his February arrest for armed robbery and aggravated second degree battery.

Johnson now faces additional charges of simple battery following his alleged role in the fight.

Agents arrest Cut Off man after seizing drugs at his home

A more than two month investigation has resulted in the arrest of a 38-year-old Cut Off man.

Lafourche Parish spokesman Brennan Matherne said authorities started an investigation in January regarding illegal narcotics activity within the parish.

During the course of the investigation, Lafourche Drug Task Force Agents obtained a warrant for the arrest of Daxton Ingram, 38, of 204 West 26th St., on a multitude of charges.

The investigation yielded charges of three counts of distribution of marijuana, two counts of distribution of hydrocodone and one count of alprazolam.

Authorities also obtained a search warrant of Ingram’s home.

Agents conducting surveillance outside of the Cut Off location observed him pulling into his driveway last Thursday.

Agents immediately responded to the location and placed Ingram under arrest.

Following the arrest, Matherne said agents executed the search on the suspect’s home and located 90 grams of suspected high grade marijuana; approximately 4.6 grams of mushrooms (psilocybin), approximately 64.5 doses of alprazolam, 88 doses of Hydrocodone, 13 doses of diazepam, three doses of Adderall, one oxycodone pill, one clonazepam pill, three vials of steroids, .22 caliber rifle, a bulletproof vest and various drug paraphernalia.

Ingram was taken to the Lafourche Parish Detention Center on the above-mention charges.

After the search, he was also charged with possession with intent to distribute Adderall, psilocybin, marijuana, diazepam, hydrocodone and apprazolam. He was also given three counts of possession of steroids, possession of clonazepam, oxycodone and drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal carrying of a weapon in the possession of a controlled dangerous substance and unlawful use of body armor.

Ingram is held in lieu of a $661,000 bond.

Prior to this arrest, Matherne said he had been arrested 18 times in Lafourche, Terrebonne, Jefferson and Orleans parishes.

Raceland man charged with attempted murder following shooting in Alidore

A 41-year-old Raceland man is in custody on attempted murder charges after a shooting this week in Alidore.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said that a shooting occurred last Tuesday night on Williams Street in Raceland.

LPSO spokesman Brennan Matherne said deputies responded to a possible fight at the above location at 8:20 p.m.

Deputies arrived and took statements from individuals in the crowd, but did not see anyone fighting.

About 30 minutes later, Matherne said authorities went back to the location after multiple shots were reported in the area.

Witnesses on the scene said they saw Calvin Rhinehart, 41, of 325 Ayo St., Raceland, exiting the scene with a firearm – leaving the area in a white car.

Deputies responded to the area and located white car with Rhinehart inside – placing him into custody on an active warrant for contempt of court.

Through witness statements and evidence on the scene, Matherne said it was learned that several shots were fired in the area – one which grazed a man in the arm. Other shots struck a sports utility vehicle in the area and also two homes.

Rhinehart is charged with attempted second-degree murder, three counts of aggravated criminal damage to property and illegal use of a weapon.

He is being held in lieu of a $235,000 bond.