Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a boy abducted by his non-custodial father has been found safe, and his father has been arrested. Luke Brown, 40, is in custody after allegedly kidnapped his four-year-old son on April 3, 2021.
A family member was granted emergency custody of the boy after Brown was involved in a standoff with Nicholls State University Police on March 25, 2021. Brown had barricaded himself in his vehicle threatening to harm himself. The situation was eventually resolved peacefully, and Brown was taken into custody. Brown was ordered to stay away from the child, as well as the family member and their residence.
On Saturday, April 3, Brown reportedly violated those orders by contacting the family member and later arriving at the residence. At around 8 p.m., he reportedly took the boy from the residence and never returned. During the course of the investigation, detectives submitted information to Louisiana State Police which issued a Level II Endangered/Missing Child Advisory early Sunday morning. Detectives also obtained a warrant for Luke Brown’s arrest.
Later Sunday morning, investigators learned the child was at a residence in Schriever. With assistance from the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, a resident of the home transported the child to meet up with deputies, and he was safely returned to the family member. Meanwhile, investigators learned Brown was at the residence. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the residence, and Brown was taken into custody without incident.
Brown was initially booked into the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex. He was later transferred to the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex and booked on warrants for Simple Kidnapping and four counts of Violation of a Protective Order. He was additionally booked on outstanding warrants for Simple Battery and five counts of Contempt of Court. Bail is set at $57,600, and he has been ordered to pay an additional $850 in fines and costs related to the contempt warrants. He is also being held as a fugitive of Assumption Parish due to an outstanding warrant there.
