Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office

Chief Deputy Todd Diaz Announces Retirement; Major Roy Gros Promoted as Successor

Sheriff Craig Webre reported Chief Deputy Todd Diaz has announced his retirement after a 37-year career with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Webre has also announced the promotion of Major Roy Gros as the new Chief Deputy. Gros, who currently serves as Criminal Department Head, will assume the post of Chief Deputy on July 1, 2020.

“Chief Diaz has spent his entire career working for this agency and has never wavered in his commitment and dedication to people of Lafourche Parish,” said Sheriff Webre. “He has been a proponent of the many advancements made by the agency over the years and truly leads by example. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with Todd and to know that he has never wavered in his loyalty and dedication to the people of Lafourche Parish.”

Diaz began his career with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office in 1983 at the age of 18. He worked the patrol division in the South Lafourche area for approximately six years. In 1990, he became a detective and worked in investigations until his promotion to Patrol Sergeant two years later. He was later promoted to Lieutenant and then Captain of Patrol, a position he held for eight years. He later served as Captain of the Investigations Division before his promotion to Major in 2006 where he served as Criminal Department Head for eight years. He was promoted to Chief Deputy in 2014 following the retirement of former Chief Deputy Robert “Bud” Dill IV.

Among his many accomplishments and accolades, Diaz was among the first group of LPSO deputies to graduate from the Nicholls State University college program. In 2002, he was awarded the Sheriff’s Star, considered one of the highest honors at LPSO. While serving as Patrol Captain in 2003, he was awarded the prestigious J. Standard Baker Award for Highway Safety by the National Sheriffs’ Association for his pioneering work in the area of traffic safety.

Diaz’s final day at LPSO will be June 30, 2020. Gros will replace Diaz as Chief Deputy beginning on July 1, 2020, which will also begin Sheriff Webre’s 8th term of office and 29th year as Sheriff of Lafourche Parish.

As a lifelong resident of Lafourche Parish, Roy Gros has served 30 years with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. He is a 1986 graduate of Central Lafourche High School and served in the U.S. Army prior to joining LPSO in 1990. He has served in many areas throughout the agency and held many supervisory positions throughout his career. He received his promotion to Major in 2014 and has served as head of the Civil Department and, most recently, the Criminal Department. Gros has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Nicholls State University, and in 2018, Gros graduated from the first class ever of the National Command and Staff College.

On Sunday evening, June 14, while off duty, Gros was traveling with his wife, Andre, on LA Highway 182 when he came upon a vehicle which had crashed into the marsh. Gros stopped, and upon learning the driver was still in the vehicle, he walked into the marsh and retrieved the driver from the vehicle with help of EMTs who had arrived on scene.

“Unfortunately, the driver had suffered fatal injuries, but this incident is the most recent that illustrates Gros’ dedication to public service,” said Sheriff Webre. “As a deputy, we are never truly ‘off duty,’ and Gros will help lead our agency by example of selfless service. As we wish Chief Diaz good luck in his retirement, we look forward to this next chapter with Chief Gros.”

UPDATE: Two Victims Identified in Overnight Shooting in Raceland

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the identities of two young women who were killed overnight in a shooting in Raceland. The victims, 21-year-old Aliza Gabriel and 20-year-old Tanasa Francis, both of Raceland, were bystanders who were shot and killed in the incident. The investigation into the shooting is continuing, and anyone with information helpful to the investigation is asked to come forward.

At 12:14 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office received a call about a disturbance involving a large gathering of people in the area of St. Louis Street in Raceland. Shortly after deputies arrived, they heard several shots fired, and two young adult females were struck by rounds. Deputies and bystanders assisted in performing CPR while waiting for an ambulance to respond. Both women were later pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe the two victims were innocent bystanders and that there may have been more than one shooter. No arrests have been made as of this time.

Sheriff Craig Webre strongly urged eyewitnesses present to come forward with information. “These two young women were completely innocent bystanders who lost their lives through this heinous act of violence by one or more individuals with no regard for human life,” said Sheriff Webre. “There were a large number of people present during the incident, and we need the community’s help to identify and locate those responsible. Any little detail you could share might be a tremendous help.”

Eyewitnesses or anyone with information, video, or photos from the incident can contact the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 532-2808.

To remain anonymous, tips can be submitted 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 through 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.

Sheriff Webre also thanked the numerous agencies that responded to assist in the incident including Louisiana State Police, Thibodaux Police Department, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafourche Parish Fire District #1 Volunteers, Acadian Ambulance, and the Lafourche Parish Coroner’s Office.

Two Dead in Shooting in Raceland

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced two young adult females are dead following a shooting in Raceland. No suspects are in custody at this time.

The investigation into this incident is continuing. At this time, detectives believe there was more than one shooter, but no arrests have been made as of this time.

Investigators are asking any eyewitnesses or anyone with information, video, or photos from the incident to contact the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 532-2808.

Alternately, tips can be submitted 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 through 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.

Lockport Man Arrested for Sex Offenses Involving a Child

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre and Lockport Chief of Police David Harrelson Jr. announced a Lockport man has been arrested for inappropriately touching a child. Charles Cunningham, 38, was arrested on several charges on Tuesday.

In late May 2020, the Lockport Police Department requested assistance from investigators with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office to investigate an incident involving a juvenile which had reportedly occurred in the Town of Lockport. Juvenile detectives began investigating Charles Cunningham for reportedly touching a young child inappropriately who was under the age of 10. Following an investigation, detectives obtained warrants for Cunningham’s arrest for Sexual Battery, Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile.

On Tuesday night, June 9, Lockport Police officers took Cunningham into custody at his residence. He was transported to Thibodaux and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex on the aforementioned warrants, as well as a warrant for Thibodaux City Court for a protective order violation. Bail is set at $100,000.

Due to the nature of the crime, no further details will be released at this time.

Cut Off Man Faces Child Pornography Charges Stemming from Previous Investigation

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a man who was arrested by narcotics agents in February 2020 now faces child pornography charges following an investigation. Jacob Melancon has been charged with 65 counts of possession of child pornography in addition to charges from the February arrest.

On February 13, 2020, narcotics agents arrested Jacob Melancon following an investigation. At that time, he was booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex on charges including Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Illegal Carrying of a Weapon in the Presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, as well as Possession of Xanax, Marijuana, and Drug Paraphernalia.

As part of the narcotics investigation, agents had obtained a search warrant for Melancon’s phone. While reviewing the phone for evidence, agents found several images of child pornography. Juvenile detectives took over that portion of the investigation. Following a thorough investigation over the ensuing months, detectives obtained a warrant for 65 counts of Pornography Involving Juveniles.

On Thursday, June 4, Melancon was booked on the new charges. He was still incarcerated at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex since his arrest in February. His bail is now set at $351,600, but he also continues to be held for Louisiana Probation and Parole.

Patterson Man with Extensive Criminal History Arrested for Auto Theft in Thibodaux

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a man with an extensive criminal history has been arrested for stealing a vehicle this past Sunday at a ballpark in Thibodaux. Joseph Young III, 51, of Patterson is currently in custody in Terrebonne Parish.

Just before 11 a.m. on May 24, 2020, deputies responded to an incident at a baseball complex on Ridgefield Road in Thibodaux. A man wearing a cloth face mask stole an SUV parked at the ballpark. A teenage boy sitting in the rear seat immediately exited the vehicle, and he was not injured. With assistance from the Thibodaux Police Department, deputies searched the immediate area but could not locate the vehicle. Investigators tracked the SUV’s location to Morgan City. With assistance from the Morgan City Police Department, the SUV was found abandoned. Through investigation, detectives identified Joseph Young III as the suspect in the case.

Detectives learned Young had allegedly stolen another SUV after abandoning the first one. On Thursday, May 28, detectives located Young driving the stolen SUV in the Thibodaux area. Young was taken into custody at a truck stop just across the parish line with assistance from the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. LPSO detectives questioned Young about the incident and eventually obtained a warrant for his arrest for Theft of a Motor Vehicle with a bail amount of $250,000.

Because Young was taken into custody in Terrebonne Parish, he was booked into the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex and charged with Illegal Possession of Stolen Things.

Young has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1987. He has been arrested more than 30 times for charges including numerous counts of theft, unauthorized use of vehicles, and possession of stolen property. Other arrests included drug charges, burglary, aggravated flight from officers, resisting arrest, property damage, criminal trespassing, issuing worthless checks, and battery. Most of his arrests occurred in St. Mary Parish, including Patterson and Morgan City.

Sheriff Webre thanks all the law enforcement agencies that assisted the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office on this case including the Thibodaux Police Department, Morgan City Police Department, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office.

UPDATE: Missing Thibodaux Teen Located

UPDATE: 16-year-old Destiny Pontiff has been found and is safe.

ORIGINAL RELEASE:

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre is asking for the public’s help in locating 16-year-old Destiny Pontiff of East Camellia Drive in Thibodaux. She was last seen late Sunday night, May 24, 2020, at a relative’s residence on Antill Drive in Thibodaux when she left without permission.

Destiny Pontiff is described as 5’2” tall, weighing 110 pounds with short brunet hair. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 532-2808, or simply dial 911.

Sheriff Webre Receives Milestone Award for Accreditation

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre was recently honored with the Egon Bittner Award presented by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The award is presented to Chief Executive Officers who have commanded a CALEA Accredited agency for fifteen or more continuous years. CALEA was slated to present the award to Sheriff Webre at their national conference in July, but that conference will now be a virtual one due to restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is an exceptional honor that I share with the men and women of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Webre. Without their dedication to excellence and their collective commitment to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism, accreditation would not be possible. The citizens of Lafourche deserve no less than the best public service, and that is what we aspire to provide.”

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office was initially accredited by CALEA in 2000 and has been reaccredited five consecutive times. In the most recent reaccreditation in 2015, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office was presented with the Accreditation with Excellence Award. This marked the first time an agency ever achieved Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation with Excellence in the state of Louisiana.

Law enforcement agencies must meet more than 400 standards in order to gain accredited status from CALEA which now lasts for a period of four years. During that time, the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited. The most recent review process for LPSO began in 2019, but CALEA has been delayed in finalizing that process due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As law enforcement standards, practices and actions continued to be questioned and challenged throughout the world, we subject ourselves to an even higher level of scrutiny,” said Sheriff Webre. “CALEA ensures we not only have fair and legal policies but that we are practicing them as well.”

The Egon Bittner Award was created to recognize leaders for their significant contributions to the public safety profession and to CALEA. Dr. Egon Bittner, himself, greatly contributed to CALEA’s early development in 1979-80, and he served as a CALEA Commissioner from 1981 through 1988. He brought wisdom and expertise to CALEA’s deliberations. He was a professor of Sociology at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, with a national standing on law enforcement issues. He retired from Brandeis in 1991 and died on May 7, 2011.

UPDATE: Detectives Still Searching for Missing Thibodaux Teen

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre reported detectives are still searching for 16-year-old Destiny Pontiff of East Camellia Drive in Thibodaux who has been missing since Sunday. Pontiff was at a relative’s residence on Antill Drive in Thibodaux on Sunday night, May 24, 2020, when she left without permission.

Detectives have released a new, more recent photo in an effort to try to locate Pontiff. She has run away from home in the past. Detectives believe she may be with a friend either in the Lafourche-Terrebonne area or in the New Orleans area.

Investigators have also learned she was likely wearing stained gray sweat pants and black and white slide sandals when she left the residence.

Nicholls Students, Lafourche Inmates Come Together for Unique Program

From the Nicholls State University Office of Media Relations:

Nicholls State University and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office recently celebrated the inaugural closing ceremony of a unique, transformative learning experience that puts university students in a new classroom setting with incarcerated students to study social issues.

The Nicholls Inside Out Program is the first of its kind in Louisiana. The course paired 10 Nicholls students, or Outside students, with 10 inmates, or Inside students. The students met once a week at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex to discuss a wide range of topics centered around criminal justice. All students were responsible for the same readings and an equal amount of writing.

Kristen Callais, instructor of sociology and program facilitator first approached Sheriff Craig Webre about the program three years ago when she learned that Louisiana, known for having the highest rate of incarceration in the world, was one of the few states without Inside Out. She received training and certification in 2019 from the international Inside Out Prison Exchange Instructor Training Institute held at Lewis University and Stateville Maximum Security Prison. The course was offered for the first time this Spring.

“I’m so incredibly proud of this group,” Callais said. “I’m confident that through this process they have done more than just learn facts. They have broken through barriers both physically and socially and have truly become some of the most creative thinkers that I have ever had the pleasure of teaching.”

Callais said the program’s academic focus is to broaden and deepen the students’ knowledge of the criminal justice system. The students adjusted to an online educational format during the spread of COVID-19 and, for their final project, pieced together over 50 videos filmed from 12 different locations to create an awareness campaign that humanizes those involved in the criminal justice system and advocates for prison reform.

“I expected an interesting experience, a unique educational opportunity, but I wasn’t thinking about the bigger picture. By the end, not only did I not feel awkward anymore, but I felt like I handmade a connection. Many have dreams similar to mine,” said Zachary Smith, a senior psychology major from Schriever. “We tackled heavy stuff, and we didn’t always agree on everything. Therein lies a huge strength of the class. It was real. It was not a few pages of a textbook, it was not a professor or any other repository of information on the outside. It was not television, film or media. It was an organic experience or knowledge that transformed me, and I think transformed many of my classmates as well.”

Nicholls students applied to take part in the program and were interviewed and by a selection committee. Inside students were selected by the correctional complex programming staff based on the length of sentence, diversity, and good behavior.

During the closing ceremony held May 7 students heard from U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune, Lafourche District Attorney Kristine Russell and Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre.

“The decision to partner with Nicholls State University on this project was an easy one because it complements the mission and vision of the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex,” said Sheriff Webre. “The dynamics of humanity are far too complex to be defined by the worst decision that a person makes in the worst moment of the worst day of his or her life. In listening to the testimonies of the program participants, it was rewarding to hear how the program successfully brought together two groups of people that would have likely never had those discussions otherwise.”

In an effort to protect all students and create an equal playing field, Callais and the students referred to each other using only first names.

Damien, an inside student, said he expected to be judged by his status as a black man and a felon and that scared him. But that was not how he was treated.

“The most powerful aspect of the Inside Out Program lies in its ability to give hope to the ones society dubs as hopeless,” he said. “Hope can give one the ability to overcome mountains of adversity. I will carry this hope with me as I pioneer my way through a different way of living.”

For more information visit www.nicholls.edu/social-sciences/insideout.

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Link to the original release on Nicholls State University website: Nicholls Students, Lafourche Inmates Come Together for Unique Program