Due to the impacts expected from Francine, Lafourche Parish officials will enact a curfew to begin at noon on Wednesday, September 11, and end at sunrise on Thursday, September 12. All businesses should be closed by noon on Wednesday for employees to make it home before the strongest storm impacts begin. Lafourche a Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies will be out enforcing the curfew but will allow a grace period for business workers to return home. Essential personnel should be carrying their I.D. or placard displaying they are indeed essential personnel.
LPSO Offices to Close at Noon Tuesday due to Incoming Storm
Due to the approaching storm, Sheriff Craig Webre has announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office administrative offices will close at noon on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, and remain closed until further notice. LPSO will also be increasing the number of deputies patrolling the parish beginning later today.
“Our deputies have always answered the call for every storm, and we are ready to respond to this one as well,” said Sheriff Webre. “Stay vigilant, stay informed, and stay safe.”
Sheriff Webre encourages residents to download the LPSO mobile app which features the most up-to-date information on this storm. The app will also send out push notifications for the most important updates. Download the app on iOS or Android here: LPSO.net/APP.
LPSO Employee Honored as Detention Officer of the Year by National Organization
Sheriff Craig Webre announced a Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office employee has been awarded Detention Officer of the Year by a national organization. Correctional Officer Sharlette Brown was honored by the National Institute of Jail Operations at the JAILCON24 Southern Regional Conference in Mobile, Alabama, on August 29, 2024.
“Sharlette is an exceptional employee and is most deserving of this prestigious honor,” said Sheriff Craig Webre. “She is a shining light at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex and an inspiring role model for her fellow employees.”
Brown began her career at LPSO in 2018. She started as a part-time bonding clerk and later became a full-time Master Control clerk. She now serves as a correctional officer at the Correctional Complex where she was recognized as the Employee of the Month in June 2023. She also received shift awards in both 2022 and 2023 as acknowledgement of her consistent service to the shift. Also notably, she received a lifesaving award in August 2022 for saving an infant’s life.
Major Cortrell Davis, who serves as Corrections Department Head and Warden at the Correctional Complex, nominated Brown for the award. He said, “Ms. Brown is a prototype employee. She leads with her heart and never disappoints.”
Brown said that when she read the mission of the Correctional Complex – to provide and ensure a safe, secure, efficient and constitutional new-generation facility – she felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. Her heart was full of joy because she has a deep desire to help the facility staff reach the mission in the spirit of excellence. Brown said, “This profession gives me the opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of others.”
ABOUT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JAIL OPERATIONS:
The National Institute for Jail Operations (NIJO) is dedicated to serving those that operate jails, detention, and correctional facilities. Training is often based on best practices rather than case law due to administrators not having the time, resources, or ability to research relevant case law training. Policies, procedures, and training must be centered and built around current case law and statutes. Recognizing the enormous liability and litigation facing administrations and, in an industry where resources are scarce, NIJO provides a compilation of legal-based resources specific to various state statute requirements or Circuit Courts of Appeal. By having these guidelines, NIJO can provide agencies access to a database of industry standards, the ability to conduct self-audits, customizable training, legal consultation, and the opportunity to have their facility Nationally Accredited. Established in 2011, NIJO is the only organization to offer resources under one umbrella with legal-based emphasis.
Kenner Man Dies after Two Dump Trunks Collide in Cut Off
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a Kenner man died as a result of a two-vehicle crash involving dump trucks on Monday. Leonardo Martinez, 37, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Just after noon on August 26, 2024, deputies responded to a dirt roadway off East 40th Street in Cut Off after two dump trucks were involved in a head-on collision. Martinez was driving one of the trucks. The driver of the other truck was airlifted to University Medical Center in New Orleans for treatment. He is in stable condition.
No further information is available at this time. The crash remains under investigation.
Rape Aggression Defense Course Scheduled for September in Raceland
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will host a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) course on September 24-26, 2024, at the LPSO Shooting Range Classroom, located at 3451 Hwy 182 in Raceland.
This self-defense course designed for women will take place over three days. The class will begin at 6 p.m. and end around 9:30 p.m. each day. Participants must attend all three days. Course instruction will be provided by certified R.A.D. instructors from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The cost of the course is $10 to cover the cost of course materials and is non-refundable. Class size is limited, and advance registration is required. You can register and pay for the course online at www.LPSO.net/classes. The class registration deadline is September 20, 2024, at 11 a.m.
For more information, please call Lucie Morvant at (985) 446-2367 or email Captain Kevin Johnson at kevin-johnson@lpso.net.
Deputies Arrest Female for Pulling out a Gun on Thibodaux High School Grounds
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of a 19-year-old female for aggravated assault with a firearm in a parking lot at Thibodaux High School after school hours. Tylaiah Adams of Thibodaux was arrested on Tuesday night after the incident.
At around 8 p.m. on August 20, 2024, LPSO deputies and officers of the Thibodaux Police Department responded to the Thibodaux High School football stadium parking lot in reference to a report of a female with a firearm. When they arrived, the individuals had already left the scene. Through investigation, they learned two male students were involved in an altercation when a female, later identified as Adams, allegedly got out of a vehicle and brandished a gun. At that point, all parties involved fled the scene.
Deputies made contact with Adams at her home, and she was arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. She was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and violation of a firearm-free zone. Bail is set at $251,000.
The incident remains under review and investigation by both the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Lafourche Parish School District. Additional deputies were present on Wednesday morning at Thibodaux High School out of an abundance of caution.
NOTE: Tylaiah Adams is not a student at Thibodaux High School.
Labor Day Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign Underway, Checkpoint Planned
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced plans for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign which is now underway through the Labor Day holiday on September 2, 2024. The campaign is coordinated and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
As part of the campaign efforts, LPSO deputies will conduct a DWI checkpoint during the evening hours of August 20, 2024, and continue into the early morning hours of the following day. During the DWI checkpoint, deputies will be looking for drivers who are possibly impaired while checking for other traffic safety issues, including but not limited to seat belt usage. Additional deputies will also be assigned to saturated patrol efforts to target impaired drivers and help keep motorists safe.
Remember that Lafourche Parish is a “No Refusal” parish, meaning if a suspected drunk driver refuses a breathalyzer test, deputies will seek a search warrant to have that person’s blood tested. Sheriff Webre reminds everyone to designate a driver if you are going to drink. Have a plan on how you will arrive home BEFORE you leave home.
UPDATE: Couple Charged for Rape, Child Porn, Drugs and Weapons Now Charged with Bestiality
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a husband and wife from Cut Off previously charged for rape, child porn, weapons, and drug charges now face charges involving bestiality. Jorden Theriot, 34, and Jennie Theriot, 33, each face 96 counts of sexual abuse of an animal.
In July 2024, juvenile detectives began investigating a report of possible sexual abuse involving the Theriots and more than one child. Both were allegedly involved in sexual acts with children. The investigation led to detectives obtaining search warrants for two residences which turned up 14 firearms, a large amount of ammunition, narcotics and child pornography. The Theriots were arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux in July.
As the investigation continued, detectives found 96 videos of humans engaged in sexual acts with animals. Detectives then obtained new warrants for the Theriots.
In all, Jorden and Jennie Theriot are now each charged with 96 counts of sexual abuse of an animal (possession and production of pornographic images of a person and an animal engaged in sexual activity). From the previous arrest, they are also both charged with two counts of first degree rape, pornography involving juveniles, 14 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal carrying of a weapon in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, obstruction of justice, possession of Valium, possession of Xanax, possession of morphine, and possession of marijuana. Bail for Jorden Theriot is now set at $1,780,500. Bail for Jennie Theriot is now set at $2,205,500, and she is also being held for Louisiana Probation and Parole due to a probation violation.
This investigation is continuing. Due to the nature of the investigation, no further information is available at this time.
Cut Off Man Charged with First Degree Rape
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of a Cut Off man who’s been charged with rape. Kevin Gisclair, 21, was taken into custody on Tuesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
At around 10:45 p.m. on August 12, 2024, officers of the Golden Meadow Police Department and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a rape that had just occurred. Through investigation, they learned Gisclair was in a vehicle parked on the shoulder of LA 1 when a woman in her 50s approached him to inquire about his presence there. Gisclair allegedly exited the vehicle and dragged the woman into a nearby driveway where he raped her. Gisclair reportedly choked and slapped the woman during the incident, and he also threatened to shoot her. Following an investigation, detectives obtained a warrant for Gisclair’s arrest.
At around 1:45 p.m. on August 13, deputies located Gisclair traveling on East Main Street in Cut Off. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and took him into custody. He was booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux on one count of first degree rape. Bail is set at $250,000.
Due to the nature of this investigation, no further details will be released.
UPDATE: Arrest Made in June 2024 Shooting in Bayou Blue
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced an arrest has been made in connection to a shooting that occurred in June 2024 in Bayou Blue. Felix Miller, 32, of Gray has been arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder.
At around 2 a.m. on Sunday, June 23, 2024, deputies received reports of gunshots in the area of Palmisano Drive in Bayou Blue. Deputies then received a report that a woman in her 30s had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. The wound was not life-threatening. Detectives developed Miller as a suspect in the shooting and that he had fired rounds at the woman and a man. Following the investigation, they obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Investigators located and arrested Miller on August 9, 2024. He was transported to the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. He was booked with two counts of attempted second degree murder. Bail is set at $1 million.
