Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a Bayou Blue man has been arrested for stealing money from a donation box at a Raceland church in February 2021. Rusty Dupre, 23, was also charged in two other investigations including a burglary at a Lafourche Parish Government field office. Shawn Meier, 31, of Bayou Blue, is also wanted in connection with the field office burglary.

On February 2, 2021, deputies responded to a burglary at St. Hilary of Poitiers Catholic Church in Raceland. A man had entered damaged a lock to the candle room door, entered the room and stole cash from the donation box. Surveillance cameras captured images of the man and his vehicle which were released to the public. Crime Stoppers Bayou Region received several tips identifying Rusty Dupre as the suspect, and investigators obtained a warrant for his arrest.

Then on March 8, 2021, detectives began investigating a burglary at the Lafourche Parish Government field office in Bayou Blue. Various items including a television, radio equipment, power tools, and food items were stolen in the incident. Dupre and Meier was identified as suspects in the crime, and detectives obtained warrants in that case.

Nine days later, on March 17, patrol deputies obtained another warrant for Dupre after surveillance cameras captured video of him stealing a basket of snacks a woman had left on her porch for a delivery truck driver.

Finally, on Tuesday, March 30, an anonymous tip provided information on Dupre’s possible whereabouts. This led investigators in the direction to track down Dupre to a hotel in Terrebonne Parish. With assistance from the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Dupre was taken into custody at the hotel without incident.

Dupre was transported to the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux on booked on active warrants for two counts of Simple Burglary, Criminal Trespassing, Theft, and Simple Criminal Damage to Property. Bail is set at $78,750.

Detectives are still searching for Shawn Meier in reference to the burglary at the field office in March. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts is asked to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by phone at 1-800-743-7433 or online at www.crimestoppersbr.org. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers via the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office mobile app. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.